Haunted by the Past
by Ixcalia
Summary: It was inevitable, Osomatsu knew. It started with Choromatsu's seemingly random panic attack, and then just spiraled out of control. Worst of all, his little brothers can't even pinpoint what's scaring them. Little glimpses of cloth, a voice, metal glinting in the light...its not much to go by, but Osomatsu is determined to make everything okay. He'll take care of his brothers.
1. Chapter 1

Oooookay! My first Osomatsu-San story! First of all, please forgive me for any spelling errors! I don't have spell check anymore. So, there's that. Also, forgive me if any characters don't seem right. I did my best!

There are panic attacks in this story, something I'm kind of new to. I recently had one and I was terrified. That being said, this is similar to my own experience (not story, but reaction). Enough about that though! I hope you all enjoy.

* * *

He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. Where even was he right now? Oh God, he was dying, wasn't he? He was going to die, right there on the sidewalk. A choked whimper escaped his lips as he tried to back himself further into the brick wall behind him. People were starting to crowd around him, boxing him in. Suffocating him. Oh no, oh no, oh no...!

"Choromatsu-niisan!?"

A voice suddenly cut through the fog of panic that clouded his mind, something familiar he could latch onto. Someone was grabbing his shoulders now and he didn't hesitate to cling to them, desperately trying to get air into his lungs. The voice was whispering to him, but he couldn't seem to comprehend any words, all his thoughts focused on trying to get oxygen because _he didn't want to die_.

"Oi, its Todomatsu! Is Osomatsu-niisan home?...I need to talk to him now, its an emergency!"

Osomatsu...? Osomatsu-niisan? Yes, his oldest brother. He wanted his oldest brother, no he _needed_ him! He wanted to hear his voice, telling him it was okay. Choromatsu was terrified right now and only his Niisan could make it better. At least, he really hoped so. He was starting to feel dizzy and he could feel his eyelids fluttering a bit.

"Osomatsu-niisan! N-No, no, I'm fine! No, its Choromatsu. I found him out here a-and he's just gasping for air! He's shaking and he's crying and I don't know w-what to do...!"

He was shaking, crying? He hadn't even noticed. But now that it had been brought to his attention, he could clearly feel the dampness on his cheeks and the shuddery sobs that were trying to claw their way out. Not enough air for that...not enough air...

"I-I'm sorry, I'm trying to stay calm, I just...huh? O-Oh, okay, hang on...Choromatsu-niisan? Osomatsu-niisan wants to talk to you."

Choromatsu could feel the cool plastic of Todomatsu's cellphone pressed against his ear (was his skin really that hot?) and a comforting voice immediately filtered into his ears. "Choromatsu? You holding up okay? Don't worry, Onii-chan's here now."

A strangled sob immediately tore free from his throat, followed by a desperate gasp. "N-N-Niisan..." Choromatsu gasped out, his hands immediately gripping at the phone as if it were a lifeline. He wanted to say so much more, just tell his brother how scared he was and how much he needed him, but no more words got out.

"Hey now, its okay Choromatsu! Let's get you settled down, then we can talk, alright? This used to happen when we were kids, remember? Its been a long time, but we'll still get through it. Just gotta count and breathe, alright? Focus on breathing in and out. I'll take care of the counting. One...two...three...breathe in..."

Choromatsu did his best to follow Osomatsu's directions, letting his older brother's soothing voice settle his nerves. This did seem familiar to him. The familiarity helped ground him and the more he calmed, the more he remembered why. He was having a panic attack, something that hadn't happened since they were kids. Osomatsu had always been the one to help him through them back then too.

"You're doing great Choromatsu. Keep breathing, just like that." Osomatsu reassured him calmly. "Hey, Todomatsu's still with you, right? I need to talk to him for a minute. Give him the phone, okay?"

Choromatsu let out a soft whimper, but reluctantly handed the phone off to his youngest brother, focusing on keeping his breathing steady. Breathe in, breathe out. Now that he was calming down, his entire body ached and he felt exhausted. And his head was throbbing. Ah, damn. He really wanted to go home now, away from all the eyes that were still on him as people reluctantly began to disperse.

"Yeah, we're outside the convenience store. Hm? ...Yeah, there's a cafe across the street. A-Are you sure its okay...? Alright, I'll trust you."

Choromatsu blinked up at Todomatsu with confusion, wondering just what his brothers were talking about. The youngest only gave him a gentle smile and handed the phone back to him, which he took eagerly. "N-Niisan...?"

"Hey Choro, sounds like you're doing good. Listen, I'm going to have Totty take you over to the cafe across the street. Sit down, get something to drink, and keep working on your breathing. I'm going to have to hang up and-"

"N-No...! No, don't go! Please, no. No, no, no..." Choromatsu felt his breathing immediately fall back out of sync, his eyes burning as fresh tears began to fill his eyes. "Please don't go! Don't leave me alone! I-I can't...I can't...!"

"Shh, hey, Choromatsu listen to me! Keep breathing! C'mon, keep breathing for me." Osomatsu was quick to reassure him, and Choromatsu couldn't bring himself to disobey his eldest brother. Letting out of quiet sob, the third brother slowly got his breathing back in order, though the tears didn't stop just yet. "Listen. Totty's going to stay with you. But I need to hang up so that I can come get you. I'm sure you're really tired and I don't think Todomatsu can get you home on his own. So please, just go with Totty and I can be there in five minutes."

"O-Okay..." It took him a few minutes to respond, but he finally agreed. He wanted Osomatsu there with him, after all. And his brother was right, he was exhausted. His entire body felt like lead and the shaking had yet to fully subside. Yes, he could hold out for five minutes.

"Heh, that's my little brother. I'll be right there." Osomatsu promised, before hanging up. For a moment, Choromatsu clung to the phone a little tighter, before he finally passed it back to Todomatsu, his hands still shaking. Todomatsu gave him a weary smile, pocketing the device, before he quickly pulled the third brother up off the sidewalk.

"Uhm...Totty?"

Both brothers turned and looked to the two girls that were still standing around them, both looking worried and slightly confused. _Todomatsu's friends_ , Choromatsu thought, an immediate feeling of dread washing over him. Totty had been out with his friends, had just coincidentally stumbled on him during his episode. Now his brother was going to leave him alone, having to do damage control. It was no secret that the youngest Matsuno kept his brother's secret from his friends, after all.

"Oh, uhm...I'm sorry. I'm gonna have to cut today short." Todomatsu smiled at the two girls apologetically, tightening his grip on Choromatsu's arm. His older brother was still shaking horribly and he found himself worrying that Choro would collapse again before he could get him to the cafe across the street.

"Its okay Totty! We just...we didn't know you had a brother!" The brunette girl exclaimed, looking between them. The blonde beside her nodded in agreement. Todomatsu felt his face heat up, looking away and sighing heavily.

"I, ah...I have five brothers." He mumbled quietly, looking embarrassed. He could feel Choromatsu's surprised gaze burning into him. Somehow, it urged him to continue. "We're sextuplets, actually. I'm the youngest, and this is Choromatsu-niisan. He's the third brother." Todomatsu gave the two girls a nervous smile. "They can all be a bit embarrassing, so I don't mention them much. Sorry about that! But right now, Choromatsu-niisan needs my help, so...I'll text you both later, okay?"

"Sextuplets?! Totty, that's amazing!" The blonde looked fascinated at the very idea, before she shook her head quickly and beamed at the youngest Matsuno. "Its okay, take care of your brother, we understand!" She looked between the two, before giving Choromatsu a soft smile. "I hope you feel better, Choromatsu-san." Both girls waved, before going on their way.

If Choromatsu were in his right mind, he probably would've almost squealed in excitement. Having a pretty girl say something so kind was a new experience for him, but he only managed a shaky smile. He leaned a little more on Todomatsu, still counting in his head as he breathed. His legs were starting to wobble a bit; he just wanted to sit down and get something to drink.

"C'mon Choromatsu-niisan. You can lean on me if you want, but you're gonna have to walk on your own. We'll go slow." Todomatsu gave his older brother a comforting smile, leading him across the street.

* * *

Osomatsu stared at the phone, his brows furrowed in confusion. Choromatsu hadn't had a panic attack in years, not since they were kids. He couldn't even actually recall the last one. What had caused this so suddenly, he wondered. He found himself feeling uneasy by the whole thing. Had someone tried to hurt him, or...

"Osomatsu?"

The eldest brother blinked, turning to look at the three brothers that were standing in the doorway. Karamatsu seemed worried, a frown on his face and his usual painful demeanor completely gone. He was in big brother mode. Ichimatsu didn't look much different from usual, though he didn't miss the look of curiosity and worry in those usually empty eyes. Jyushimatsu's stare was blank as always, but his smile was dimmer than usual. All three of them were worried about their third brother, no doubt.

"I need you guys to do me some favors. I'm gonna get Choromatsu and bring him home. Jyushimatsu, can you set out the futon? He's probably gonna be tired." The fifth brother nodded rapidly. "Good. Ichimatsu, I need you to find anything of Choromatsu's that you think he seems to really like. See if you can find any of his Nya-chan CDs lying around." Ichimatsu gave a slight shrug, but Osomatsu had no doubt he would do it. "Karamatsu, you're the only one here who can actually cook anything. See if you can put something together for him to eat. He'll probably be hungry, once he settles down."

"Osomatsu-niisan? What happened to Choromatsu-niisan?" Jyushimatsu asked quietly. None of them were used to hearing the fifth brother talk so softly. He had been the one to answer the phone to begin with, so he had been shaken when Todomatsu had yelled for the eldest brother, saying it was an emergency.

Osomatsu smiled softly at Jyushi, reaching out and ruffling his hair lightly. "He had a panic attack." He didn't miss the way Jyushimatsu furrowed his brows and tilted his head in confusion. "It happens to people sometimes, when they get really scared or sometimes it happens without any real reason. They might have trouble breathing, might shake a lot, get really dizzy..." He didn't miss the way Jyushimatsu's eyes shifted to glance at Ichimatsu or the way Ichimatsu returned his gaze. Ah, it always amazed Osomatsu how the two seemed to talk to one another without actually speaking.

"But Choromatsu hasn't had a panic attack in years. We were...what, ten? Eleven maybe?" Karamatsu spoke up, frowning more. Osomatsu nodded slightly, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets. Aside from him, Karamatsu had been the only other brother who had ever seen Choromatsu's panic attacks. "I wonder what brought this on all of a sudden."

"Dunno. But I need to get going. I promised him I'd be there in five minutes, don't want him falling back into it." He gave his three brothers a reassuring grin, before running out the door. He really needed to hurry if he was going to make it. Choromatsu was probably staring at the clock, counting down the seconds.

The three brothers watched after him for a moment, before Karamatsu cleared his throat. "Let's get things ready for Choromatsu then." He ordered softly. Jyushi and Ichi both nodded, heading straight to their bedroom, while Karamatsu went right to work in the kitchen.

* * *

Osomatsu burst through the doors of the cafe, panting heavily. It had taken him closer to ten minutes, rather than five, but he had done his best to get there fast. He immediately looked around, his eyes landing on his two younger brothers. They were sitting in a corner, away from most of the other customers, which was probably fine with Choromatsu. Speaking of the third brother, Osomatsu didn't miss how pale he was or how his hand was still shaking as he lifted a bottle of water to his lips. His eyelids were drooping a bit too. It was okay though, Choromatsu would be home soon.

The eldest brother immediately pulled out the chair next to Choromatsu, taking a seat and resting his hand gently on his brother's head. "Hey, sorry I was late. Had to explain what was going on to the others." He apologized. Choromatsu's eyes were immediately on him, one of his hands gripping at his brother's hoodie. "Its okay Choro, I'm here now. You gave Onii-chan a bit of a scare there, you know that?"

"You? I ran into him on complete accident." Todomatsu huffed quietly, wringing his hands together nervously. "There were people starting to crowd around and when I saw who it was on the ground, I-I panicked a bit. He was sweating and gasping for air, I thought something was seriously wrong, a-and..."

"Its okay, Totty!" Osomatsu reached his free hand out and gripped his youngest brother's hand, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles reassuringly. "You did good Todomatsu. You took care of him, which is the best thing you could do. But everything's going to be fine now. We're all gonna go home, get something to eat, and just relax." Osomatsu turned his attention back to Choromatsu, grinning just as he usually did, though it was a bit more sincere. "You look like you can barely keep your eyes open. I have Jyushimatsu setting up the futon, so you can take a nap once we get home."

"Ah...t-thank you Nii-san." Choromatsu stammered out, moving his hand away from his brother's hoodie in favor of gripping his hand. Osomatsu didn't seem to mind at all, even giving his hand a little reassuring squeeze.

The three of them sat there for about fifteen minutes. Osomatsu and Todomatsu chatted about anything that came to mind, while Choromatsu sipped at his water and gripped his brother's hand. In that time, Choromatsu found that his shaking limbs slowly relaxed and the fog in his head almost completely cleared. Unfortunately, in its place was exhaustion and his body ached uncomfortably. Not to mention, his head was throbbing horribly.

"I think...I'm ready to go now, Osomatsu-niisan." He mumbled quietly, tugging on the eldest brother's arm lightly to get his attention. Oso glanced at him and smiled slightly, nodding his head in agreement. Choromatsu blinked as his brother pulled their hands apart, only to move and kneel in front of him. "Eh? What are you doing?"

"Climb up." Was all Osomatsu said, glancing at him over his shoulder. Choromatsu grumbled a bit, about how he could walk just fine on his own, but he couldn't hide a small smile. The eldest brother could be irritating, irresponsible, lazy, and downright stupid sometimes, but at the end of the day, he was always there for them. He really was the best, though Choromatsu would never say that out loud.

Choromatsu leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Oso's neck, letting his brother grip his legs and tug him foward so that his full weight rested against him. Todomatsu seemed wary as Osomatsu stood upright, going as far as resting his hand on Choro's back, as if that would keep him from falling. But the two younger brother's knew that the eldest had always been strong, and even if it strained him a bit, it was practically nothing for him.

Between Todomatsu's constant touch on his back and Osomatsu's comforting voice as he spoke to the youngest, it didn't take long for Choromatsu to fall asleep.

* * *

They entered the house quietly, Todomatsu closing the door behind them. Jyushimatsu was sitting on the steps in front of the door, waiting for them, and Todomatsu quickly put a finger to his lips before the fifth brother could speak. Jyushi blinked and mimicked the action, nodding his head in understanding.

"I have the futon all ready Niisan." Jyushimatsu whispered to Osomatsu, though his voice somehow still managed to be loud. Osomatsu just smiled and mumbled his thanks, before moving upstairs. He wouldn't bother with trying to change his brother's clothes, just best to let him rest.

Music played quietly in their bedroom, the sound of Nya-chan drifting from the CD player that sat in the corner of the room. In another corner, Ichimatsu sat with his knees pulled up to his chest, ESP Kitty curled up beside him. The fourth brother was petting him absentmindedly, busy staring out the window. He did glance over at his two older brothers though, as Osomatsu kicked the blanket aside and laid Choromatsu in his usual spot on the futon.

"He fell asleep?" Ichimatsu asked quietly, watching Osomatsu as he tugged the blanket back over Choro. It was as close as Ichimatsu would get to flat out asking if the third brother was okay, Osomatsu knew. The thought made him grin a bit.

"It wore him out. They make his entire body lock up and he shakes like a leaf. No doubt he's feeling achy in muscles that he didn't even know he had." Osomatsu explained, gently running his hand through the sleeping matsu's hair. "I really thought he was over these. Guess they never really go away."

"I don't remember him having them before." Ichimatsu looked at Osomatsu, clearly expecting and explanation. Considering they had always been together when they were kids, it was surprising to know that there was something like this that some of them didn't know about.

"Mm. It happened a few times. I remember the first time it happened, I didn't know what to do. I think we were fishing? Yeah, dad was with us." Osomatsu furrowed his brow, clearly trying to remember the details. "I dunno where everyone else was. You must've been with mom. Man, that was so long ago!" He grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

Ichimatsu nodded in understanding, looking down at ESP Kitty and rubbing under his chin lightly. Back then, Choromatsu had probably been embarrassed and insisted that Osomatsu keep it a secret. Made enough sense. But he wondered what triggered them. Was it really something that came out of nowhere, something that happened for no reason?

"Well, probably should just let him rest. Let's go get something to eat. Whatever Karamatsu made smells good~!" Osomatsu let out a laugh as he walked out of their bedroom, his footsteps fading as he trotted down the stairs.

Sighing heavily, Ichimatsu unfolded himself and got to his feet, ESP Kitty letting out a meow as it followed its owner's lead. They both headed for the door, but Ichimatsu paused near the futon, glancing over at his sleeping brother. At least he seemed to be sleeping soundly. "Sleep well, Niisan." He mumbled, before leaving the room and heading downstairs.

* * *

 _Choromatsu hummed softly, lost in thought as he headed towards the convenience store. There was a magazine that was released today that had an interview with Nya-chan, and he wanted it! No, he needed it! He wanted to learn everything he could about his favorite Idol! One day, he was determined that he would be able to talk to her and knowing as much as he could about her would help. Or, he would be labeled a creepy stalker. Okay, that was a bit of a downer._

 _Oh, he couldn't forget to pick up the other things on his list. Their parents were gone for the week, off on vacation, so they were fending for themselves. They would need something for dinner tonight and if he was feeling especially generous, maybe he'd even pick up some beer. Osomatsu would probably worship him._

 _His entire body was suddenly jarred rather roughly, and Choromatsu stumbled backwards, falling on his behind hard. Well, that knocked the air out of him. He looked up, ready to apologize for not paying attention, but..._

 _Plaid. Olive Green. O-Or was it beige? What? W-Why was his heart racing all of a sudden? Why was his body tightening up like this? Oh God, he couldn't breathe. Choromatsu gripped at his chest, gasping suddenly, his eyes going to his hands. When did he start shaking so bad? Oh no, oh no...! He turned his attention back to the person in front of him, ready to beg for help..._

 _There was no one there._


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this! I'm hoping to start updating every Monday, but that's not set in stone. Don't want to rush or force chapters, so we'll see!

* * *

Chapter 2:

Choromatsu blinked sleepily, staring up at ceiling blankly. It was dark already and he could hear his brothers snores all around him. Jyushimatsu was currently cuddled up to his side and he found he didn't mind. His little brother's body heat was comforting in some strange way. But he really wanted to get up and use the bathroom, maybe get some aspirin. Why did his head have to still hurt?

"You're finally awake?" He nearly jumped as Osomatsu whispered to him, wincing as his muscles bunched up in surprise. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." His brother apologized with a sheepish grin, reaching over and wrapping his arm around him comfortingly. "You were asleep all day. We saved you some dinner."

"All day, huh?" Choromatsu grumbled quietly. What a wasted day! He guessed he really needed the rest though. "You managed to save some food? Who made it anyway?" The idea that any of his brother's had gotten behind the stove worried him. None of them seemed sick, though, so it must not have been too bad.

"What, you thought we'd eat everything? Onii-chan's offended." Osomatsu teased quietly, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. "But yeah, we set some aside. And don't worry, Karamatsu handled dinner, so its safe. Jyushi tried to help, but Ichimatsu managed to distract him." Choromatsu felt his brother begin to wiggle free from their blanket, scooting back carefully so he didn't wake Totty.

"I don't think I can move." Choromatsu sighed, smiling wryly. He glanced down at the fifth brother, who was currently cuddling his arm, his mouth hanging open as usual. At least he didn't feel any drool yet. Osomatsu snickered, crawling over and nudging Jyushimatsu lightly.

"Mm...eh?" Jyushimatsu's eyes opened slightly, blinking up at his brother sleepily. Osomatsu couldn't help but smile at him. "What's wrong Osomatsu-niisan?" He asked sleepily, reaching up to rub his eyes.

"Sorry Jyushimatsu. Choromatsu wants to get something to eat, but you need to let go of his arm first." Osomatsu rubbed beneath his nose, grinning as Jyushimatsu's eyes opened fully in realization. He immediately rolled away, letting out his usual laugh, his wide smile on his face.

"Ahaha! Sorry, sorry!" He laughed loudly, covering his mouth as soon as his two older brothers shushed him. Right, it was still late. He almost forgot. "Sorry." He said again, making sure to whisper. Choromatsu didn't seem to actually mind though, even reaching over and patting his head lightly.

"Its alright. Why don't you go back to sleep, we'll be back shortly." Choromatsu said quietly, pushing himself up off the futon. His body still felt sore, but not as heavy as it had earlier. It was bearable. Jyushimatsu, never one to really argue, nodded his head enthusiastically, before throwing himself back down to sleep. He was asleep within seconds.

"Seriously, how does he do that?" Choromatsu gave Jyushimatsu a strange look while Osomatsu just laughed. They both knew there was no real point in questioning anything about Jyushimatsu. Sighing heavily, the third brother stood from their futon, creeping out of the room with Osomatsu.

As soon as the door to their room was closed, Choromatsu went straight to the bathroom while Osomatsu went downstairs to warm up his brother's dinner. Hey, he could be considerate! His little brother had a rough day, after all. That, and he was about to bring up said day all over again. He just needed to know if Choromatsu knew what caused the sudden attack. After so many years, it had to be something specific, right? It couldn't just be a random occurence. Right?

By the time Choromatsu made it downstairs, Osomatsu had his dinner warmed up and sitting at the table for him. He could still hear said eldest brother rustling around in the kitchen though, but his hunger eventually won out over his curiosity. He sat down, shoveling rice into his mouth quickly. It actually wasn't bad at all!

"Whoa, easy there Jyushimatsu." Osomatsu teased, walking over and sitting down beside Choromatsu. Choro immediately flushed in embarrassment, slowing down considerably. "Just kidding~! You're probably starving. The last time you ate was at breakfast yesterday morning, wasn't it? No wonder." Osomatsu himself had a small bowl of ice cream. Choromatsu gave him a questioning look. "Oh, this? Jyushimatsu and Ichimatsu ran out to get the groceries for dinner. Poor Ichimatsu just can't say no to Jyushi!" He laughed. "They brought home a whole pail of ice cream. I'll get you some after your done there, if you want."

"Really? We don't have that much money to blow while mom and dad are gone." Choromatsu sighed exasperatedly. Really, his brothers were so irresponsible sometimes! This is why he had planned to do the shopping himself. "Seriously, why would you send the two of them? Anyone else would've been a better choice!"

"Awe, c'mon~! Jyushi was worried about his big brother, so we had to do something. Getting him out of the house was the only thing we could think of, so grocery shopping was the perfect excuse!" Osomatsu grinned in his usual way, rubbing his finger below his nose. "You don't need to worry. Your Onii-chan had some luck at the horse races yesterday."

"And no surprise that we're only just now finding out. You really are a shitty eldest brother." Choromatsu grumbled, though there was no real bite to the words. Osomatsu just laughed, throwing his arm around the green Matsu and pulling him against his side. Still though, that money would be useful for the next week.

They sat just like that for about half an hour, just eating in a comfortable silence, just enjoying one another's company. It reminded Osomatsu a lot of when they were kids, back before middle school and high school. All of the sextuplets had been partnered up together on the rare occassions that they weren't all together. Karamatsu and Todomatsu. Ichimatsu and Jyushimatsu. Him and Choromatsu. But once they had gained individuality, they all drifted apart. Well, all except for Ichimatsu and Jyushimatsu, but they still weren't quite AS close. It was part of growing up, he guessed, but he found he missed it. Those days when Osomatsu could trade places with any other brother, or vice versa...they were the best. Not to mention he wasn't quite as lonely. They had all needed each other. Anymore, that just wasn't the case.

"You're frowning all of a sudden. What are you thinking about?" Choromatsu interrupted Osomatsu's thoughts quite abruptly, the eldest brother blinking in surprise. Apparently, he had been so caught up in his own little world, he had forgotten Choromatsu was there. Huffing, he went to speak again, but his brother quickly cut him off.

"So, do you want to talk about what happened? Do you know what caused it?" Osomatsu said suddenly, making Choromatsu frown. Oso was changing the subject, something Choromatsu recognized as a defensive maneuver. He only ever really did it when the subject was too sensitive. But he wasn't going to let it go. Osomatsu had helped him earlier, so the very least he could do was listen to his older brother's woes.

"I'll talk about it, if you tell me what's on your mind first." Choromatsu said firmly, not missing the way Osomatsu withdrew his arm and looked at him with blank eyes. "Don't try to lie either. I'll know if you do. Something's bothering you and I'll listen. Getting it off your chest will probably help."

Osomatsu groaned, falling back onto the floor, arms spread wide. Why did Choromatsu have to be so nosey? Maybe he could just steer the conversation away and then go back to bed? Nope, no chance. His brother had that stubborn look on his face that clearly said they wouldn't be dropping the subject any time soon. And he really wanted Choromatsu to talk to him about his panic attack. Dammit.

"Its not that big of a deal." He sighed, glancing at Choromatsu. "I was just thinking about when we were kids. You know, how close we were and everything. We've really drifted apart, haven't we?" Osomatsu did his best to keep his voice light, but there was a bitter edge to it. "I mean, we never do much of anything together. We hang around the house and go to Chibita's, yeah, but that's pretty much it."

Choromatsu blinked, watching his brother as he spoke. Oh. "Are you lonely, Osomatsu-niisan?" He asked quietly. Osomatsu refused to look at him. "We've all got different interests, so its hard to do anything together." Choromatsu admitted, looking down at his brother. "I'm into idols, Karamatsu's into music, Jyushimatsu's into baseball, Ichimatsu's into his cats, Totty's into hanging out with his friends, and you prefer to stay home and read manga. Its not easy to find common ground."

"We've never really bothered to try, except for maybe Jyushimatsu." Osomatsu protested, sitting up and looking at Choromatsu. "Its like we've all just accepted that we don't need each other anymore. I don't...I don't want to..." And suddenly, the eldest brother looked and sounded so sad. Choromatsu felt his heart hurt. "We've always been brothers, but on top of that, we used to be best friends. You and I did everything together, and it just stopped all at once. It wasn't a gradual thing! One day, you just decided that school work was more important. It really...hurt."

Choromatsu winced at that. It was true, he had practically changed over night. He remembered, they were in middle school at the time. After a rather elaborate prank landed them in detention and he was thoroughly scolded by the principal, he came to a realization. They were almost adults and he had to make a choice. Continue being a kid or start working towards his future. The latter won out. He had started pushing Osomatsu away after that, refusing to partake in his childish antics. He had gone about it all wrong, he knew that. He had always regretted it.

"I'm sorry." Choromatsu mumbled, shifting so that he was closer to Osomatsu, letting their heads lightly bump together. "I kind of knew that I had hurt you. I knew that it was wrong, the way I pulled away from you. At the time, I thought it was in my best interest and that you'd get over it eventually." He cringed at the slight glare he received, but Osomatsu leaned his head against his anyway, looking exasperated.

"Yeah, well it would've been nice if you had said something. You could've talked to me about it! Hell, I probably would've went along with you! Just like always!" The red Matsu huffed, closing his eyes as he leaned against his younger brother. He was frustrated, but at the same time he felt better. He hadn't been able to talk to Choromatsu like this in years. It gave him a strange sense of nostalgia. He was kinda...happy.

Choromatsu nodded slightly, glancing at Osomatsu. "I really am sorry, Osomatsu-niisan." He apologized again, looking thoughtful. "We may not be as close, but you're still my best friend. I hope you know that." He mumbled quietly. That was embarrassing to say out loud, but Osomatsu needed to hear it. Just like that, a toothy grin appeared on his brother's face, making him smile as well.

"Heh, well its not as if we really have any other friends. Even if I'm just a last resort, that's fine." Osomatsu joked, snickering quietly. Choromatsu chuckled as well, thankful that his brother seemed to be feeling better now. "Hey, Choromatsu?"

"Hm?"

"What if we...I mean..." Osomatsu seemed to hesitate, before snorting and grinning. "Take me to one of your idol concerts~!" He demanded, pulling back and looking at Choromatsu. Choromatsu scowled, ready to adamantly deny his brother's request, before it clicked.

Osomatsu was just being Osomatsu. He didn't like getting emotional, didn't like dealing with his feelings. But he had laid things out for Choromatsu tonight, rather easily. Apparently he had his fill though. He was back to being his goofy, shitty self. Even so, Choromatsu heard the silent plea behind his brother's demand. _Let me go with you. Let me spend time with you. Let's try to be best friends again_.

"On one condition." Choromatsu said calmly, turning away from Osomatsu as if he were annoyed. Osomatsu tilted his head slightly, humming questionably. "You were saving money to go see that live-action movie, the one based on that manga you always read, right? Let me go with you."

Osomatsu practically beamed, pulling Choromatsu back into a tight embrace. Osomatsu heard his answer loud and clear. _Let's give it a shot_. _Let's do this_. Choromatsu couldn't hide his own grin. It honestly felt good to sort of reconnect with his brother to an extent. Osomatsu would still torment him, no doubt, and he would still nag about them needing to get jobs. But at the end of the day, they could still lean on one another.

Osomatsu suddenly let out a yawn, drawing Choromatsu's attention. "Osomatsu-niisan, you're probably really tired. Why don't we go back to bed now?" He offered.

"No, not yet." Osomatsu shook his head stubbornly. "I kept my half of the deal. I still want to hear what happened earlier. What was going on around you, did someone try to hurt you?" Oh, right. Choromatsu nearly forgot the reason they were there in the first place. Sighing heavily, he closed his eyes and thought back.

"I was just on my way to the store and I bumped into someone. I fell back and went to apologize..." Choromatsu trailed off, brows furrowing in confusion. That's where things started getting fuzzy. "I didn't really see them, I don't think."

"Whaaaat?! That's all you really remember? Seriously?" Osomatsu groaned, knocking his head against Choromatsu's again. "I thought for sure something would've stood out to you. I was hoping we could figure out what caused it and find a way to avoid it."

Choromatsu shook his head, an apology on the tip of his tongue, but it died on his lips. Wait. Something had sort of stood out to him. But was it really worth mentioning? Something so trivial wouldn't have caused his panic attack, right? "I guess...something did kind of stand out. But its stupid." Osomatsu gave him a pointed look, clearly saying otherwise. "Well, I just remember seeing...plaid? When I saw it, that's when I think I locked up."

"Plaid?" Osomatsu raised an eyebrow, before laughing. "You mean, you saw your own shirt?" Choromatsu frowned at that, looking down at the clothes he wore. He was still in the clothes he had left the house with, consisting of his brown pants and...green, plaid shirt.

"Wha...? N-No, it wasn't..." Choromatsu stammered, gripping at his shirt tightly. Just looking at it didn't cause him any unease, but he was certain that it was plaid that he had seen and what had caused his panic. Sure, it didn't make sense, but it didn't always have to. "No. It wasn't this color. It was more of a beige, maybe? I dunno." The third brother bowed his head in defeat, sighing heavily. That was all he knew.

"Oh. Don't worry about it Choro, its fine. If it happens again, Onii-chan will be right there to take care of you. We'll figure it out." Osomatsu reassured, rubbing his brother's back reassuringly. Sure, it sucked that they couldn't pinpoint the problem right away, but it'd be fine. Choromatsu would be fine.

It was Choromatsu who yawned this time. "Go get changed into your pajamas, I'll clean up our dishes. We can go back to bed now." Osomatsu stood from his spot, gathering their dishes and carrying them to the kitchen. Of course, he immediately went to work, thinking over their conversation.

Seriously, what did plaid have to do with anything? Beige plaid? That couldn't have been anything, right? It was more likely that his brother's panic attack had just been triggered by being knocked to the ground suddenly. At least he thought so. Jyushimatsu wore plaid sometimes and Choromatsu had his own plaid shirt. So that wasn't it at all! Right? Of course he was right. Even thinking about it was stupid.

So why was he so stuck on it? Why was he stuck thinking about beige plaid?

It was late and he was tired, that had to be why. It was time to just forget about it for right now and head back to bed. He had all day tomorrow to think about it, not like he had any other plans. Hell, he probably had the whole week free to think about it, if not even longer! Ah, being a NEET was great. Grinning to himself, Osomatsu left the dishes in the sink and headed to their bedroom, more than ready to crawl back under the covers and sleep.

By the time he got there, Choromatsu was already there, trying to get situated without disturbing Jyushimatsu again. Thankfully he managed, but the second he felt the other body beside him, the fifth brother immediately latched back onto Choromatsu's arm. Choro only let out an exasperated sigh, looking up at Osomatsu with a shake of his head.

Osomatsu let out a snort, silencing his laughter quickly, before crawling under the blankets. Ah, their futon. He loved their futon. "Mm...g'night." He yawned, closing his eyes and smiling contentedly. Choromatsu hummed a reply, his own eyes falling closed. Before he managed to doze off completely, Osomatsu swore he felt a hand grasp his own.

* * *

The next morning had been a bit more hectic. The sextuplets were starving, and hungry sextuplets were grumpy sextuplets. Osomatsu stared at the empty table with a forlorn look, Ichimatsu growled at anyone who even looked at him, Jyushimatsu's smile seemed a bit strained as he fidgeted, and Todomatsu glared down at his phone. Thankfully though, between Choromatsu and Karamatsu, a decent breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast was put together. To Choromatsu's surprise, Karamatsu also managed to make some pancakes, insisting that he knew it was one of the third brother's favorites and that Choromatsu deserved something nice after yesterday. Needless to say, once their hunger was satisfied, everything quickly settled down.

Immediately after breakfast, Jyushimatsu was out the door with his baseball equipment in tow, shouting 'Muscle, muscle! Hustle, Hustle!' as he marched out the door. Shortly after, Ichimatsu was leaving as well, muttering about feeding the cats around town. The other four brothers simply lazed around, Choromatsu even lying beside Osomatsu to glance at the manga his oldest brother read. Osomatsu seemed happy to share, adjusting the book so that it sat between them.

Karamatsu had his guitar in hand, strumming and humming quietly. Todomatsu glanced at him now and then with an irritated look, usually when the second brother noticably messed up, but he managed to keep his mouth shut. He just wasn't in the mood to make fun of his older brother right now. Besides, even with the sound of the guitar, it was a peaceful and relaxing day. Why ruin it?

It was going on one now. Osomatsu flipped the manga shut, having finished it, grinning at Choromatsu who had genuinely seemed interested in the story. Noticing the look, the third brother rolled his eyes with a smile. He was about to suggest that they find something for lunch when a sudden crash sounded downstairs, making all four brothers jump in surprise.

They all got to their feet, frowning as another bang sounded, all sharing glances. Todomatsu seemed scared at the possibilities, inching closer to Karamatsu. Was someone breaking into their house? What if they had a gun? Were they going to die? Karamatsu gripped his little brother's arm, rubbing it gently in an attempt to calm him. Right...no need to jump to the worst possible conclusions.

Osomatsu moved first, pushing the door open quietly and listening. There was a lot of sound downstairs and he swore he heard sobbing. Wait. Yep, that was definitely sobbing. It sounded hysterical, as if the person had no control of themself. He briefly wondered if Totoko had bursted into their house in one of her over-the-top moods, but the idea was quickly shot down.

"I-Ichimatsu-niisan...Nii-san...? I want N-Nii-san..." The voice sobbed and Osomatsu immediately relaxed, before his big brother instincts kicked in and he rushed downstairs. He could hear quick footsteps right behind him, the sound of another brother following closely behind.

At the bottom of the stairs, he immediately noticed that the door had practically been knocked off its hinges. Not really anything new in a house of six boys. That poor door was lucky to even still be in once piece after this many years. The second thing he noticed was in their kitchen, one of the chairs had been knocked to the floor and the table that their parents normally ate at was now crooked, as if someone had bumped into it.

Osomatsu felt a tap on his shoulder and he turned quickly to look at Karamatsu. Choromatsu and Todomatsu must've chosen to stay upstairs. The second brother motioned towards the living room and Osomatsu peered past him to look. Ah. That was gonna take awhile to clean up.

It looked as if the coffee table had been flipped over and the couch cushions were everywhere. Their father's recliner was lying on its side now as well and papers were scattered everywhere. Seriously, what the hell? Osomatsu couldn't help but feel irritated at the mess. Their parents would be pissed and they'd probably point the finger at him! No way in hell!

The eldest brother stomped into the room, ready to snap, but he quickly froze as another sob came from the corner of the room.

Oh.

Curled in a ball was Jyushimatsu, pressed into the corner as far as he could go. His face was red and wet from crying, his body shaking as hysteric sobs racked his body. Osomatsu and Karamatsu both felt their hearts break at the sight. There was no smile on that face. It was an injustice that needed to be corrected.

And was that blood?

"Jyushimatsu?" Osomatsu called softly, stepping closer to his little brother. The fifth brother's eyes snapped open and Osomatsu had to pause when he noticed the wild look in his gaze. "Its just me Jyushi. Hey, tell me what happened. Onii-chan will make it better." He pleaded.

A scream tore from his brother's throat and Osomatsu quickly jumped back as Jyushimatsu lashed out at him. "STAY AWAY FROM ME! NII-SAN! ICHIMATSU-NIISAN!" Jyushimatsu screamed out, his voice sounding raw. How long had he been screaming like that? Oh God, someone hurt his little brother, Osomatsu found himself thinking fearfully.

Osomatsu seemed at a loss, looking at Karamatsu who stared at Jyushimatsu with wide, surprised eyes. "Oh, my little Jyushimatsu..." The second brother mumbled worriedly. "Ichimatsu's not home right now our dearest little brother. Please, is there anything we can do for you?" He offered, hoping he would have better luck at comforting the second youngest.

But it was as if he couldn't hear them. Though he did stop screaming as they backed away, he continued to sob and curl on himself, backing up until he was pressed solidly against the wall. There was blood smearing on the wall, Osomatsu noticed. Not an alarming amount, but the fact that there was any blood at all made both brothers feel sick.

"What the hell's going on?!" Choromatsu practically screeched from the doorway, eyes wide as he looked around at the mess all around the living room. Todomatsu was gripping the third brother's arm fearfully, biting at his lip as he watched the scene in front of them. He had his cell phone clenched in his hand, ready to call the police or ambulance if needed.

"Just stay back and keep your voice down." Osomatsu ordered, stepping further away from Jyushimatsu slowly. Karamatsu followed his lead, looking at the eldest brother questioningly. "We don't have a choice, we're gonna have to find Ichimatsu. Hopefully he can calm him down and we can find out what happened. Choromatsu, I know you're still kind of sore, but are you okay to look?"

"Of course I am!" Choromatsu huffed. Just because his muscles were a little worn from yesterday, didn't mean he was just going to sit on the sidelines while one of his little brothers needed help. "We'll have a better chance of finding Ichimatsu if we all split up and look. He's bound to be in one of the alleys."

Osomatsu nodded, before looking at Todomatsu. "We need you to stay here with him Totty. Make sure nothing happens and he doesn't hurt himself more. If he does, call for an ambulance right away, okay?" The youngest brother seemed horrified, but nodded shakily. "He won't hurt you, I don't think. Just keep your distance from him."

"Actually, give me your cell phone Totty." Karamatsu ordered, holding his hand out. Todomatsu gripped it tighter, ready to protest, but Karamatsu quickly interrupted. "You can use the house phone to call if something does happen. If Jyushimatsu gets too wild or he ends up getting hurt, we need to know. You can call me and I'll track down the others."

Todomatsu looked at his phone, before reluctantly handing it over. His phone was like a security blanket, so it took a lot of courage for him to hand it over. Probably more than it should've. "O-Okay, fine. But just...h-hurry up!" He stammered, trying to get himself back in order. The three eldest brothers nodded in understanding, before rushing out the door, all splitting in different directions.

* * *

Ichimatsu had a slight smile on his face as he watched the cats in the alley, or more specifically, the seven kittens that stumbled around clumsily. He loved watching them fall over at the slightest movement or get tangled up as they played. So cute. At least they were all healthy and lively for the time being. Their mother was going to have her paws full for awhile though. Speaking of which, said cat seemed to be fast asleep. Good then, she could sleep while he entertained the little ones.

Even trash needed to be useful every now and then, he supposed.

Yes, he was complete trash. Unburnable trash. A mark on the perfection of society. And he was perfectly fine with that, if he was being honest. He was content enough with the way he was. Sure, it'd be nice if he could talk to people, but it wasn't really necessary. He had the cats and he had his brothers.

One of the kitten's suddenly latched onto his leg, climbing up and staring at him with big eyes. He couldn't help but snicker a bit, reaching down and prying the little ball of fur's claws out of his sweat pants. The kitten let out a mewl as he held it, drawing the attention of it's siblings who all rushed over for their share of attention. "Hm. Its a nice day, I guess."

"I-Ichimatsu!"

The fourth brother's gaze turned dark, his easygoing smile changing to an irritated frown. Leave it to his brother to ruin his good mood. He gently sat the kitten he held aside, but didn't bother to turn to face the blue Matsu.

"What are you doing here Shittymatsu?" He snapped, pointedly keeping his gaze on the kittens. His day didn't have to be ruined just yet. If he could just get Karamatsu to leave, he coud return to playing with the cats. That and if he turned to face his brother, he would likely end up scaring his feline friends away. They already seemed uneasy about the newcomer.

"A-Ah...g-give me a sec..." Karamatsu panted out, resting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He had ran clear across town without a single break to find Ichimatsu and his lungs were burning painfully. "Whew, I don't suppose you have any water?"

Ichimatsu let out a growl, clenching his fists. "Just get the fuck out of here!" He snarled, eyes narrowing a bit. He wanted to be left alone right, just wanted to play with his cats! If he had wanted company, he would've went with Jyushimatsu or had invited the fifth brother along with him. And even if he did want company, Karamatsu was the last person he would want!

"Wait a minute-"

"I told you to leave! What part of that don't you understand Shittymatsu!?"

"Just shut up and listen to me!"

Ichimatsu turned quickly, ready to punch Karamatsu in his stupid face, but the defiance in his brother's eyes stopped him in his tracks. The second brother was glaring at him, holding himself with confidence that betrayed his usual self. Ah, so this wasn't Shittymatsu after all. This was Karamatsu, the second brother of the infamous sextuplets. This was the brother that took charge if Osomatsu couldn't. And that meant something was wrong.

"Did something happen to Choromatsu again?" Ichimatsu asked, relaxing a bit and stuffing his hands into his hoodie pocket. After yesterday, what else could it be? Maybe the third brother had another attack or something. But if Karamatsu came to find him, it had to be worse than that.

"Not Choromatsu. Something's wrong with Jyushimatsu." Karamatsu answered quietly. Ichimatsu's usually half-lidded eyes widened, his full attention on the second brother now. "We don't know what happened. He came home and tore up the downstairs. When we ran down to check on him, he was huddled in a corner. He won't let any of us near him and it looked like he was bleeding." Karamatsu didn't miss the worry on his little brother's face. "He's been screaming for you the entire time."

Ichimatsu paled considerably, before he pushed by his brother. He wasn't fit by any means and running wasn't a strong point of his, but he needed to get home fast. Jyushimatsu was his little brother, his sunshine. The only one who really understood him. Shit, he needed to get to him quick and see if there was anything he could do for him.

Karamatsu watched after him, sighing and shaking his head. The cellphone in his hoodie pocket suddenly rang loudly and he quickly fumbled with it. He half expected Todomatsu's panicked voice, but thankfully that wasn't the case.

"Me and Choromatsu ran into each other. We looked everywhere on our ends. Please tell me you found him?" Osomatsu asked pleadingly. Him and Choromatsu were crammed into a phone booth, looking at the phone hopefully.

"Heh. Of course, my brothers. Our dearest Ichimatsu is on his way home as we speak." He smirked a bit, a bit of his painful demeanor seeping through. He could hear Osomatsu groan in distaste, but he also seemed satisfied with the answer. "Thankfully it was fairly simple to get him to listen to me, but he did put up some resistance. But thanks to my preservation-"

"Good. Let's just get home then and hope for the best. Ichimatsu has to be able to get through to Jyushimatsu." Osomatsu sighed. He didn't bother to wait for an answer, hanging up the phone before Karamatsu could respond.

"Eh?"

* * *

Ichimatsu was practically dying by the time he got home. His lungs were of fire, his heart pounding so hard that he wondered if he might be having a heart attack. Even his legs wobbled uncomfortably. Dammit, he couldn't console Jyushimatsu if he couldn't even breathe. He took a moment outside, trying to compose himself, wiping the sweat from his face.

"Where have you been?!" Todomatsu peaked out the door, glaring at Ichimatsu with obvious irritation. "They've been looking for you for well over an hour now! Jyushimatsu-niisan is completely miserable and you're out feeding cats!" He snapped. Ichimatsu gave his youngest brother a cold look. How the hell was he supposed to know that Jyushimatsu needed him? Stupid youngest brother! The look seemed to do the trick, as Todomatsu closed his mouth with a huff, walking back inside. "Just hurry up!"

Ichimatsu grunted in response, taking a deep breath, savoring the feeling of air in his lungs. Running was way too much effort, but it was for Jyushimatsu. He needed to take care of his little brother. Pushing the door open, he immediately noticed how it leaned awkwardly. Hm, so his brother must've burst through the door when he had come home.

Of course, he noticed the disaster their house had become, how could he miss it? But as soon as he heard the soft sobs and mumbles, nothing else really mattered. Ichimatsu made a beeline through the living room, only stopping when he was within a few feet of his little brother. Seeing his little brother like this _hurt_.

Jyusimatsu was hugging himself, his fingers squeezing his arms hard enough that they would probably bruise. His eyes were clenched shut, tears streaming down his red face. Along with the lack of smile, Jyushimatsu's features were contorted as if he were in pain, which alarmed Ichimatsu the most. Ichimatsu was not an emotional person, but seeing his little brother like this was killing him inside.

"D-Don't hurt me...I'm sorry...Ichimatsu-Niisan...Nii-san..." Jyushimatsu spoke in broken murmurs, burying his face into the wall now. Nope, he wasn't having this. Ichimatsu slowly lowered himself to the floor, kneeling in front of the distressed fifth brother, reaching his hand out slowly. He let his hand gently stroke his brother's hair back, just like he were petting one of his cats.

Jyushimatsu flinched at the touch, eyes snapping open and staring at him with wide, empty eyes. _He's not really here_ , Ichimatsu thought worriedly. This seemed familiar somehow. Those empty eyes, his brother seeming so...gone. No, this didn't happen before. He'd remember something like this. "Jyushimatsu..." He called softly, wishing that something would spark in those eyes of his.

Jyushimatsu stared at him, before he finally moved, scrambling to be as close to Ichimatsu as possible. The fourth brother was forced to sit cross-legged as Jyushi climbed into his lap, clinging to him desperately and sobbing. "Ichimatsu-niisan! It hurts...it hurts again...!" He sobbed, looking absolutely frantic. "D-Don't leave me alone again! Please Nii-san...!"

Ichimatsu was not an emotional person. He didn't like touching people or being touched. When it came to people, he just didn't understand them. And yet, he felt his eyes burn with unshed tears. He felt his arms wrap around his brother in a tight grip, hoping it would offer some feeling of safety. More than that, he found he somehow understood. This wasn't Jyushimatsu. Not the current Jyushimatsu, anyway. This was his little brother that had loved to sing almost everything he said and was always a crybaby. The Jyushimatsu from before middle school. And even if he couldn't seem to recall and incident like this, this was somehow familiar.

"I won't, ever again." Ichimatsu whispered quietly, rubbing his brother's back. What else could he say? What should he say? Unlike Jyushimatsu, he didn't have the right words for every situation. All he could do was try.

Todomatsu watched from the doorway, frowning at the heartwrenching scene before him. At least Jyushimatsu seemed to recognize and acknowledge Ichimatsu. But he was suspicious of how easily Ichimatsu seemed to handle the situation. Hell, if Osomatsu and Choromatsu had kept the third brother's panic attacks a secret, why would it be surprising if there were other big secrets among the other brothers. It wasn't right! But...he wasn't really one to talk, he supposed. Still, he would ask Ichimatsu later. He needed to know what was going on.

A hand suddenly gripped his shoulder and Todomatsu lurched forward in surprise. He wanted to glare at the red Matsu, but noticing his serious face, as well as the other two brothers behind him, he chose against it. Osomatsu nodded his head towards the stairs and tugged his shoulder lightly. "I think Ichimatsu's got this under control. Let's just go wait upstairs for right now." The eldest brother whispered quietly.

"Wait a minute! Jyushimatsu-niisan was bleeding, wasn't he? Should someone look at him?" Todomatsu protested, settling his hands on his hips stubbornly. How could they just leave things alone like that? How could they go on _not knowing_? Karamatsu and Choromatsu shared a look, both seeming unsure, but Osomatsu shook his head.

"I know he's hurt! But right now, us being in there is just gonna make things harder on both of them. You saw how he tried to hit me earlier. Do YOU really wanna take the chance that he lashes out at you too?" Osomatsu looked at his youngest brother, whose face immediately fell. Jyushimatsu's strength was unrivaled and questionable, no one wanted to be on the end of one of his punches.

"Fine." Todomatsu muttered, stomping up the steps. The other three brothers sighed, taking a final look into the living room, before following after the pink Matsu. Hopefully things would be okay within a few hours.

* * *

Ichimatsu had long since moved so that he was now leaning against the wall, Jyushimatsu laying so that his head was in the fourth brother's lap. It had taken Ichimatsu forever to coax his little brother to stop crying, and even now there were quiet little sniffles that interrupted the silence. It was okay though, as long as Jyushimatsu was getting better. That's all that mattered to him.

Still, he couldn't help but let his mind drift. Choromatsu had a panic attack yesterday, and now Jyushimatsu had gone into some sort of fit. Why? Was someone pissing with his brothers? The thought made his blood boil. If that were the case, he would kill them! He would wipe them off the face of the planet, make it so no one recognized them!

If someone were messing with them though...why? What could they possibly have to gain? And how would they know how to get to his brothers to this extent? No, that wasn't possible. It was just coincidence, it had to be.

"Mm...i-it hurts..."

Ichimatsu looked down to his little brother, petting his hair again to calm him down. He hoped he wasn't going into another episode. Jyushimatsu peeled his eyes open and looked up at Ichimatsu tiredly. Unlike before, there was recognition in his eyes, though he seemed drained of energy and entirely confused. His little brother was back, thank God. "Ichimatsu-niisan...?"

"Mm. Welcome back." Ichimatsu mumbled awkwardly, watching as Jyushimatsu slowly took in his surroundings. An uneasy smile slowly spread across Jyushimatsu's face as he saw the total disarray of their living room. "Its nothing, don't worry about it. It'll get cleaned up later." Ichimatsu assured him, watching the other closely. Did he remember that he was the one who caused the mess in the first place?

"Okay Nii-san. When did I come home, huh?" Well, that answered that question. Shit, what should he say? Did he tell Jyushimatsu what happened and risk upsetting him again? Or did he just keep it a secret for now? What was the right choice in a situation like this? The only person he felt comfortable asking something like that was the very person he was unsure about!

"Not sure. You were already home when I got home." It wasn't a lie. Jyushimatsu furrowed his brow, laughing tiredly, though it sounded a bit nervous. Still, any laugh was better than all the tears that the fifth brother had shed that afternoon.

"Haha...I don't remember coming home at all. I remember playing baseball though. I swung my bat 2578 times today Nii-san. Maybe I over did it, 'cause now I feel really sleepy." Ichimatsu nodded, showing he was listening. Was that all his brother remembered though? Jyushimatsu let out an exaggerated and bored sigh, moving to sit up, but he suddenly gasped out and fell back against Ichimatsu's legs. "A-Ah...it burns! My back, it burns!" He yelped.

Ichimatsu frowned deeply, coaxing Jyushimatsu into a sitting position to examine his back. The fourth brother felt his blood run cold at the sight he was met with. It wasn't anything serious, he didn't think. Not in appearance anyway. But running down the length of his brother's back, right along his spine, was a cut. It didn't look too deep, but it had gone deep enough to bleed profusely, staining the back of his brother's uniform with blood. That explained the blood. And it was an angry red, possibly the start of an infection

But what worried Ichimatsu the most was the shape of his brother's shirt. It wasn't so noticable if you were just looking at the cut itself, but looking at the shirt made it clear; the cut was clean and precise. It wasn't as if his brother had snagged himself on a jagged tree branch or something. This was intentionally made.

Someone was fucking with his brothers. And they had just gone way too far.

"What do you see Nii-san? Is it bad?" Jyushimatsu asked, trying to peer over his own shoulder to see. Ichimatsu suddenly looked very scary, Jyushimatsu decided, blinking at the dark look Ichimatsu gave him. "Ichimatsu-niisan?"

"Do you remember anything else from the park? I want to know the very last thing you remember Jyushimatsu." Ichimatsu demanded seriously, turning Jyushi back to face him. There would be no hiding the situation at this point. He needed to know what happened, they all did. "This is important Jyushimatsu. Think hard."

Never one to disappoint, Jyushimatsu covered his mouth with a fisted hand, thinking back through the days events. "I swung the bat a lot. I remember I decided to start hitting some balls, so I started tossing them up and HOME RUN!" Jyushimatsu beamed, recalling how every ball was sent flying. He had been having fun, until..."Oh, I ran out of balls, so I had to go get them. But they were all really far. Ahaha!"

"Alright, good. What else do you remember?" Ichimatsu pressed. Jyushimatsu seemed unsure, rubbing at his head as he thought. "Anything Jyushimatsu. Did you see anyone else there? Did anyone talk to you?"

"Uhm...maybe." Ichimatsu fought the urge to shake Jyushimatsu, to rattle his brother's head until the memories clicked into place. "Yeah, yeah! I remember a voice, definitely! While I was looking for all of my baseballs, someone was talking to me. But I can't remember what they said. Must not have been paying attention. Whoops!"

"I suppose you didn't see them?" Ichimatsu asked sourly, sighing heavily. That wasn't exactly as useful as he was hoping. He'd hoped that Jyushimatsu would be able to give a description of the person so that he could hunt them down and-

"Nope, sorry Nii-san! I tried really hard to remember, but I don't think I can. Did something happen?" Jyushimatsu tilted his head, looking at Ichimatsu curiously. He wanted to know why he couldn't remember, why he felt so drained, and why the house was seemingly wrecked.

"I wasn't here when you came home. The others said you came home in some kind of fit. You wouldn't let them near you and you kept screaming." Ichimatsu explained, not putting much detail into it. That was all his brother really needed to know, right?

"Oh. That's why my throat hurts." Jyushimatsu looked around the house with wide eyes. "I made a big mess, huh? I'll clean it all up! Clean, clean, clean!" The fifth brother moved to jump to his feet, but Ichimatsu kept him from doing so. "Waaah?! Nii-san, I can't clean if you don't let go!"

"We need to get your back taken care of. It already looks like it might be getting infected." Ichimatsu explained, getting to his feet lazily. "I'll get the first aid kit. Stay where you are. Staaaay." The fourth brother held his hands up, almost like he were talking to a dog, as he backed out of the room.

Jyushimatsu immediately went into the role, his tongue lolling out as he sat rather dog-like. "Woof!" He barked in agreement, smiling widely at his older brother, who returned it with a slight one of his own.

As soon as Ichimatsu left the room, Jyushimatsu's smile faded and he looked at the floor. He wasn't lying. He didn't see the person, didn't exactly remember what was said. But he knew the voice had scared him, knew he somehow recognized it. He never did place it though, before he completely blacked out. It wasn't important, they didn't hurt him. Or...?

Jyushimatsu let his hand reach behind him, his fingers lightly tracing the ripped fabric of his uniform, as well as the large cut that ran from between his shoulder blades, all the way down to his pant line. _O-Oh_...biting his lip, the fifth brother sniffed quietly as tears welled up in his eyes. Scary...it was scary!

"I've got the...kit..." Ichimatsu frowned as he found Jyushimatsu crying softly once again, large tears falling from his eyes, his fingers tracing the cut on his back. Sighing, the purple Matsu walked over, dropping to his knees and pulling his little brother to his chest once again. "Its okay, its fine. Everything's going to be fine."

Jyushimatsu buried his face into his brother's chest, nodding in understanding. Yes, everything would be fine. Ichimatsu was going to make sure of it.

* * *

 _Jyushimatsu ran through the park, gathering up all of the baseballs he had batted away. They were scattered all over the place, so finding them was difficult. It was okay though, Jyushimatsu was happy to run all through the park. Humming happily, the yellow Matsu practically lunged behind a nearby bush, bending over to snatch up yet another ball and dropping it into the small bucket he carried with him._

 _"Oh, what's this. You're not who I was looking for, are you?"_

 _Jyushimatsu stood straight again, not even acknowledging the words. He was too focused, counting the baseballs in his bucket. Ah, only a few more to find! Beaming, the fifth brother went to carry on with his search, before hot breath on his neck stopped him._

 _"Ignoring me? That's awfully rude. Didn't anyone ever teach you any manners?" The voice hissed into his ear, and Jyushimatsu suddenly felt something sharp pressed into the small of his back. "Now, which one...? Oh, the number 14? That gives it away, I guess."_

 _Jyushimatsu didn't move, swallowing thickly. Who was this? It sounded like they knew who he was, but he couldn't place who the voice belonged to. It did sound familiar. In fact, it made him feel really nervous all of a sudden. The sharp point suddenly dragged up his back lightly, not cutting, but it made a chill crawl along his spine. "W-What are you doing?" He whimpered._

 _"This seems familiar, doesn't it? You were just like all your other brothers. None of you ever knew how to behave." The voice growled out. Jyushimatsu felt his heart rate pick up suddenly, thudding in his chest noisily. "And when you were bad, it was only natural that I had to_ punish you _. Surely you remember?"_

 _Jyushimatsu's eyes glazed over at the somehow familiar words, just as the sharp object pressed into his back hard enough that it cut through his shirt and drew blood. "N-No...I...don't...!" He whimpered, tears welling up in his eyes. Suddenly, he felt really far away. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..." He babbled, gasping as the pain spread further along his back. Further down...further down..._

 _"Haha! You DO remember, huh? We had so much fun! I missed all of you, so much!" The voice laughed, pressing the weapon deeper, dragging it farther down._

 _"Nii-san...Nii-san...! ICHIMATSU-NIISAN!" Jyushimatsu screamed, the voice cursing loudly and he was suddenly shoved away. They were still at the park, out in public where every one could see them. "HELP ME, NII-SAN! DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE! Don't leave me...don't...help me...!"_

 _"Tch, you little bastard. Whatever." The voice let out a chuckle, the sound of grass crunching resounding through Jyushimatsu's distant mind as they hurried away from the scene in front of them. "There will be plenty of time for more later. I had fun today. Let's play again soon, Jyushimatsu."_

 _Jyushimatsu sobbed as they left, his eyes wide and frantic as he looked at his surroundings. Danger! Danger! He needed to go, needed to go home! Why wasn't he already home? Dropping the bucket he held so happily earlier, the yellow Matsu ran towards home, towards safety, screaming for his brother the whole way home._

 _His brother was just a little too late._


	3. Chapter 3

Man, I've been so focused on updating on AO3, I haven't paid any attention to the story on this account! Sorry about that! ^^; I'll do my best to get it caught up on here too, though I'll probably release the chapters I have a few days apart. Again, sorry about the delay and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3:

"So someone did hurt him."

The six brothers were sitting around their table, though Jyushimatsu was currently leaning against Ichimatsu fast asleep. The day had just been too stressful for the poor fifth brother. All of the brothers looked between one another seriously, hoping someone had some kind of idea or suggestion as to who had targeted Jyushimatsu (and possibly Choromatsu, but they couldn't be sure).

Jyushimatsu had at first pleaded that Ichimatsu keep quiet about it, insisted he didn't want to worry anybody, but Ichimatsu had to explain that there was no way he could keep quiet. The others had already seen the blood and if they didn't discuss it, then another brother could potentially be hurt. Needless to say, Jyushi was quick to cave.

"Maybe it was just a robbery gone wrong? I mean, why would anyone target us?" Todomatsu shrugged, looking down to his phone. He didn't like that Jyushimatsu had gotten hurt, but the idea that someone was after them didn't seem feasible. It sounded more like paranoia. The last two days had been stressful, so maybe it was getting to them. "They were talking about a lot of robberies happening in the park lately. Mostly at night, but maybe someone was feeling brave today. Jyushimatsu does come off as a pretty easy target."

"If it were just a simple robbery, Jyushimatsu could've handled the guy no problem! Even if he did have a weapon!" Choromatsu crossed his arms, scowling at their youngest brother. "And will you put your phone down! This is serious!" He snapped.

"Ehh, Choromatsu-niisan is being really noisy today." Todomatsu brushed off the third brother, pressing buttons on his phone lazily. In the blink of an eye, the device was suddenly no longer in his hand, and he turned to glare at the brother responsible. Surprisingly, Ichimatsu had been the one to snatch it away, glaring at the youngest coldly. "Give it back, Ichimatsu-niisan! I don't want your greasy fingers all over my phone!"

"Tch. Keep it up and I'm going to go drop it in the toilet!" The fourth brother hissed, clenching the phone tightly. They were talking about Jyushimatsu here! Someone had hurt him and Todomatsu acted as if he didn't care at all?! He really was a monster. He suddenly gave the youngest a wicked grin. "You care about this thing more than your brothers. I wonder how you'd like it if I suddenly smashed it into tiny pieces."

"Don't you dare!"

"You gonna stop me?"

"You break my phone, I swear I'll never forgive you!"

"Awe, poor little Totty wants his phone."

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Both younger brothers quieted immediately, looking over at Osomatsu. The eldest looked irritated, a hand coming up to rub at his tired face. "Seriously, this is all too much. And Jyushimatsu's sleeping, so just settle down already." He sighed heavily, looking between his brothers. It bothered him that someone could potentially be targeting his little brothers, but this was also more stress than he was made to handle. His head was starting to hurt something awful too.

"Look, we're all tired." Karamatsu started, looking at Osomatsu. "Why don't we just drop it for now. We can talk about it again when we all feel up to it." He reasoned. Totty didn't need to be told twice, the youngest standing and snatching his phone from Ichimatsu with a glare, before stomping out of the room and downstairs. "Choromatsu, my brother. Would you like to join me in the kitchen? With both of us putting all of our love into the endeavor, I believe we can create something-"

"You could just ask if I want to help cook dinner!" Choromatsu groaned. Both the second and third brothers stood from their spots and left the room. "Just let me get through cooking dinner without breaking any ribs please."

Osomatsu watched after them, before slamming his head down against the table with a groan. "Ow." He whined, though he made no effort to move. Ichimatsu just stared at the eldest blankly. "I just feel like sleeping all day. My little NEET mind can't handle all of this stress." He mumbled, his words muffled into the table. Choromatsu's panic attack had been one thing, the eldest brother knew how to handle that. But Jyushimatsu's episode had blindsided him and he was completely useless.

"It was really familiar. I think I know why." Ichimatsu mumbled suddenly, getting Osomatsu's attention. The red Matsu lifted his head and looked at Ichimatsu curiously, noting the way his little brother's gaze settled sadly on Jyushimatsu. "We were all really horrible in middle school and high school, weren't we? Once we all changed, it got pretty rough."

"...Yeah, it did." Osomatsu looked down at the table, nodding. "We all really drifted apart. We rarely ever sat in the same room as each other even. But you and Jyushimatsu stayed pretty close, right?" Yeah, he remembered Jyushimatsu always sitting near Ichimatsu, babbling about his day, even if he wasn't really acknowledged.

"No. We didn't."

Osomatsu looked honestly confused, a frown marring his face and an eyebrow raising curiously. "But the two of you were always together. You walked to school together, ate lunch together, sat together at home...that's more than the rest of us could say." Ichimatsu seemed frustrated suddenly, shaking his head adamantly. "Ichimatsu, did something happen back then?"

Ichimatsu grinded his teeth a bit. Could he talk about this? Could he admit to just how trashy he really was? That was a long time ago, but it was a moment in his life that he had truly regretted. "Back then, I..." The words stuck in his throat.

"Ichimatsu-niisan needs to let go of things that happened a long time ago."

Both Osomatsu and Ichimatsu looked to the yellow Matsu in surprise. Not just at the fact that he was awake, but at the wise words that came from his mouth. Ichimatsu was quick to recover though. "Who said it bothers me? I don't really care. Like you said, it was a long time ago, so whatever." It was clear that even he didn't believe his own words.

Jyushimatsu sat up, stretching a bit with a wide yawn. "Silly Nii-san! Maybe it'd help if you talked about it, huh? Tell Osomatsu-niisan everything that happened and you'll see that its fine! 'Cause its all in the past!" He beamed at his older brother, turning to face him fully.

"I...maybe I..."

 _"I-Ichimatsu-niisan...! You're here, I...ah, I..."_

 _"What, you think your brother's gonna bail you out of trouble now?"_

 _"Pfft, haha! Look at that, he just turned away!"_

 _"W-Wait...Ichimatsu-niisan, wait! Y-You're just gonna leave me?! Nii-san, please don't! H-Help me Nii-san!"_

 _"JUST DEAL WITH YOUR OWN PROBLEMS AND LEAVE ME ALONE!"_

 _"Wow, I almost feel bad. Looks like your brothers really can't stand you!"_

 _"N-No, that's not true...Ichimatsu-niisan, please...! Don't go...! Stop it! NII-SAN!"_

The words echoed through his head and he shut his mouth quickly. Shit, no, he wasn't ready to talk about it yet. "Sorry, I don't want to." He mumbled, pointedly ignoring the disappointed whine that came from Osomatsu. Jyushimatsu just smiled at him, waving his hand dismissively.

"Its okay! Completely okay! You'll be ready someday! And when you are, I'll listen and you'll know that everything's in the past!" Ichimatsu stared at his little brother, before letting out a sigh and nodding. Jyushimatsu seemed satisfied with that, at least.

"Jeeze, getting me all interested and then letting me down like that." Osomatsu leaned back on his hands, before his fingers brushed against something. Blinking, the eldest brother glanced at it, before snatching it up. It was just a magazine, nothing of interest. Except for the advertisement on the back page. "Wait, that's a perfect idea!" He laughed, practically burying his face into the page.

"What is it Osomatsu-niisan?" Jyushimatsu immediately seemed interested, clamoring over the table to peer at what had caught the eldest brother's attention. His eyes immediately lit up at what he saw. "Waaah!? Can we? Can we, Osomatsu-niisan, can we!?" He asked excitedly, bouncing up and down now. Ichimatsu was quick to pull him off of the table before the poor structure collapsed under the excited brother's weight.

Osomatsu grinned, rubbing below his nose with a laugh. "Onii-chan has some extra money left over from the races~! I _guess_ I can spare some to take us all out. Ah, I'm such a good brother!" He chuckled, though it turned into a yelp as he was tackled into a hug by the excited fifth born. "J-Jeeze Jyushi, you could break a guy's ribs like that."

"Ahaha! Sorry Osomatsu-niisan! I'm just excited! We're gonna have fun, lots of fun!"

Ichimatsu watched the two, before snorting and smiling just a bit. If anything, he was just happy that Jyushimatsu was better, his smile and laughter having returned as if nothing had happened. But his little brother was just resilient like that. He would know.

* * *

"An amusement park?" Choromatsu asked incredulously, staring at the flier that his brother had ripped from the magazine. They were all seated at the table once again, eating their dinner and chatting idly amongst one another. Until Osomatsu decided to bring up his grand master plan.

"Yep~! Think about it, these last two days have been really stressful." Osomatsu nodded his head, looking thoughtful. "We're NEETs. Our job is to laze around or have fun without having to worry about responsibility. So while mom and dad are gone on vacation, we're going to take full advantage! We deserve it, after all."

"What kind of definition is that?!" Choromatsu snapped, rolling his eyes at the eldest brother's strange ideals. Osomatsu really was still such a kid. "But I guess an amusement park would be kind of...nice. The last couple of days have been a complete wreck, so getting out and having some fun might do us all some good."

"WAHOO! Amusement park! Amusement park!" Jyushimatsu cheered, waving his arms excitedly. Ichimatsu just nodded in agreement with his little brother, focusing on his dinner. If its what Jyushi wanted, he would go along with it. Not like he'd be allowed to skip out on it anyway.

"Heh. The perfect place to find my Karamatsu Girls!" Karamatsu closed his eyes and smirked, resting a hand on his chin. "Just imagine, finding myself a honey and the two of us sharing an intimate moment in the tunnel of love! Hm! I already know the perfect outfit!"

"If you so much as look at that tank top or those pants of yours, I'll burn them!" Todomatsu immediately shattered the second brother's daydream, huffing in irritation. "Just to be sure, I'll dress you tomorrow if I have to! No way am I going anywhere with you wearing _that_!" All the other brothers had no protests. Sighing, the youngest brother relaxed again. "As usual, Osomatsu-niisan has the best ideas."

"Then its agreed! First thing tomorrow, we're going to catch a bus and head right for the amusement park." Osomatsu grinned at his brothers, before glancing at Choromatsu. "Heh, we might need your alarm clock. If we sleep in as late as usual, we won't have enough time to have fun." He laughed. Choromatsu just rolled his eyes, but nodded in agreement.

* * *

Ichimatsu couldn't sleep.

It wasn't that he didn't feel tired. He was exhausted. But his mind would not let him unwind long enough to sleep. Between the events of the day and all of these unwanted memories springing to the surface, he was a mess. Why couldn't he just talk about things, get it off his chest. That was a thing people did, right? There was no way he could though. It was way out of his comfort zone as it was, but this was also a touchy subject. Even talking to Jyushimatsu seemed out of the question. _Even though he wanted me to_ , he thought wryly.

Just as he had said, middle school and high school had been the absolute worst. In elementary school, they had been united. If anyone messed with one brother, they messed with them all. Once Choromatsu broke away, it really got the ball rolling. They all started to divide, their own personalities individualizing them. They were broken and vulnerable, unsure of what to do once they stood on their own.

Sighing in exasperation, the fourth brother buried his face into his knees that were drawn to his chest. He wanted to stop thinking about it, just bury that point in their lives so deep in his brain that it would never find its way out again. Seriously, what a pain.

"I didn't think I'd find you out here. Its not often we see you out on the roof, unless Jyushi drags you out."

Ichimatsu glanced back at the eldest brother, shrugging a bit. He didn't really feel like talking, so he was a bit frustrated with his brother's appearance. It wasn't that he disliked Osomatsu's company, just that he really wanted to enjoy the quiet while he could. He had been hoping the silence would seep into his brain and quiet his annoying thoughts. A man could only hope.

"Well, anyway, don't mind me. I just wanted to get a smoke while I had the chance." Osomatsu sat just behind the purple Matsu, out of the younger brother's sight. Ichimatsu could hear as he lit the cigarette and inhaled deeply, before exhaling quietly. It sounded as if all of his stress just drifted away with the smoke. The younger brother was jealous.

A comfortable silence settled between them, the only sound being Osomatsu's occasional inhales and exhales. Frankly, Ichimatsu was grateful for it. The oldest brother was being considerate and it almost seemed like he wasn't there. Out of sight, out of mind, right? It made him relax a bit.

"If you need to talk about anything, now would be a good time. If you don't have to look at me, maybe it'd be easier." Osomatsu commented nonchalantly. Ichimatsu immediately tensed, gritting his teeth a bit. Meddling eldest brother! "Hey, I'm just saying. Not like I would judge you. We've all done some pretty shitty stuff in the past. But you know..." Osomatsu trailed off, a small smile on his face now. Ichimatsu took the chance to glance back at him.

"Me and Choromatsu had a long talk last night. You know, I hate talking about stuff sometimes. When it gets all feely and shit, it really gets on my nerves. I mean, what's done is done, right? Nothing you can really do to change anything, so why let it drag you down." Osomatsu laughed, rubbing a finger under his nose. "Choromatsu really got me talking though. Dunno why, but I just started rambling. It felt good to talk about it."

"I'm not you." Ichimatsu muttered, looking back to the street below. "I can't just come out and say what's on my mind to anyone I talk to. Talking to Jyushimatsu's hard enough. That's why I'm always glad when he just seems to understand on his own." After all, his thoughts tended to be a dark place, a mangled mess. Half the time, he didn't understand them himself.

"What's it like, being able to read each other like that? Can you guys seriously hear each other's thoughts, or what?" Osomatsu asked, genuinely curious. All of the brothers had noticed how the two seemed to speak through little looks and nudges. It always fascinated Osomatsu.

"What? No." Ichimatsu looked back at Osomatsu, as if his older brother had grown a second head. "How would we? That doesn't even make any sense, idiot." Osomatsu just grinned sheepishly at him. "Jyushimatsu seems better at it then me, but sometimes I just get these weird...feelings. Like if he's upset or if he's hurt, I sometimes get a strange chill, then I just know. Doesn't always work like that though, obviously."

"You can't always be there to protect him. You're not blaming yourself for what happened are you? Because if you are, then you're the idiot here." The eldest brother moved further down the roof, until he was sitting right beside Ichimatsu, his cigarette resting between his lips. "Seriously, even if you had sensed it or whatever, it would've already have happened. Jyushimatsu sure as hell doesn't blame you. He was just happy you came home to help him."

Ichimatsu stared at Osomatsu with his blank stare, thinking over the words. Jyushimatsu HAD invited him along to the park, but he had refused. Still though, if it had been avoided today, whose to say it wouldn't have happened later? But that's not exactly what bothered him. "I broke a promise I made to myself."

"Huh?" Osomatsu tilted his head at the sudden admission, raising an eyebrow as he flicked his now spent cigarette away. He exhaled the remaining smoke, at least making sure he directed it away from his younger brother. "What promise?" He asked.

"I promised I wouldn't let anyone hurt him again." Ichimatsu mumbled, resting his chin on his knee. Ah, why was he even telling his brother this? Not that it mattered, he was sure that everyone noticed how protective he tended to be of Jyushimatsu.

Osomatsu immediately leaned forward, furrowing his brow and looking at Ichimatsu's face. "Wait, what do you mean again? Did something happen to Jyushimatsu before?" He pushed, frowning when Ichimatsu narrowed his eyes and looked away. "Hey, don't clam up on me! Who hurt Jyushimatsu?"

"Its...its nothing. It was a long time ago." Ichimatsu cursed his slip of tongue. Of course Osomatsu would push the topic; the eldest brother had always felt some kind of responsibility for them. Not always, Ichimatsu reminded himself quickly. But regardless of the past, Osomatsu undoubtedly loved his brothers.

"Its not nothing! If someone hurt Jyushimatsu, in the past or present, I deserve to know!" Osomatsu snapped, moving so that he was in front of Ichimatsu now. He gripped the younger's shoulders in a tight grip, shaking him lightly. "You know you're not the only one who wants to protect him, right? He's my little brother too, you all are! But I can't help if I don't know!"

Ichimatsu tensed in his brother's grip, looking away. Shit, shit, shit...he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He didn't want to talk about it, he wasn't comfortable with it. But Osomatsu was his oldest brother and even if he wasn't always reliable, he was supportive. He could trust Osomatsu with this, right?

"I-It was..." Ichimatsu's voice was shaky, as he started to speak. Osomatsu seemed to notice and he quickly let go of his brother, noticing how fidgety he suddenly seemed. Ichimatsu swallowed the lump in his throat, forcing himself to continue. "When we were in our last year of middle school, that was when we all really fell apart. Choromatsu was focused on his studies, Todomatsu always wanted to hang out with his new friends all the time, Karamatsu was starting to get curious about the drama shit, and you were always starting fights with everyone."

Osomatsu nodded in agreement, rubbing his neck lightly. It was true. After Choromatsu had distanced himself and all of the other brothers started pulling away as well, he had been more than a little angry. He shut them out, but that didn't help with the anger. So he picked fights over petty things, releasing his anger in the only way he really knew how. But Ichimatsu wasn't one to talk. "Yeah, but as I recall, you weren't much better. You got into fights too and you skipped school whenever you could." He pointed out.

"Mm. I hated school, I didn't want anything to do with that place. The classes were boring and the other kids were just..." _Cruel. Intolerable. Demeaning._ Shaking his head to disperse the thoughts, he continued. "Once we all separated, that left me and Jyushimatsu open. I was bullied and made fun of because I was quiet and they thought I was weird. But we didn't grow up just letting people get the best of us. So, naturally, I fought back. Jyushimatsu only made things worse, because he just wouldn't stand up for himself."

"Jyushimatsu used to be such a crybaby. It doesn't surprise me." Osomastsu smiled uneasily, watching as his brother's eyes turned darker with every word. Ichimatsu seemed lost in the memories, his fists clenching and unclenching as he mulled over his words.

"He was. And he was clingy. He always wanted to be around me, but I realized that I couldn't allow that. It gave the other kids more fuel to bully us, not to mention I had to deal with the ones that preferred to pick on him. Because of him, more and more people joined in. I couldn't take it anymore. I tried to push Jyushimatsu away, I started fighting more. People started to leave me alone." Ichimatsu paused, taking a deep breath. He was preparing himself for something big, Osomatsu knew. "And then, I did something unforgivable."

 _It was one of the rare days that Ichimatsu actually showed up to school. He didn't want to, but his mom had received a call from the school, complaining about his constant absence. So he had no choice now, but to suffer through the rest of his 9th grade year._

 _He had snuck out of class, the first chance he got. He just wanted to go outside, maybe have a smoke. Maybe find a stray cat. Anything but listen to the teacher go on about shit he could care less about. Why did it matter anyway? He had done enough to pass for the year. They just needed to leave him alone now!_

 _Sudden laughter caught Ichimatsu's attention, and he paused. There was a space between two buildings of the school, resembling a sort of alleyway. It wasn't super big, but it could fit five or six kids and still hide them from view. It was where a lot of kids tended to sneak off for a cigarette, him included. In fact, it was where he was headed, but now he wasn't so sure._

 _A pained cry sounded out over the laughter, giving Ichimatsu further pause. It wasn't as if he particularly cared, but he was definitely curious. Giving in, the teen snuck closer to the sounds, peering around the corner and watching. He had expected to see a fight, probably one-sided by the sounds. What he didn't expect was to see his own little brother being pinned to the wall by three other boys, being punched and kicked without mercy._

 _Large tears were streaming down Jyushimatsu's face, his wide eyes staring at his attackers with fear. Blood was running down his face from his nose and a large gash near his temple. That was just what Ichimatsu could see. He couldn't see the multiple bruises that probably ran along Jyushi's chest and stomach, or along his arms and shoulders. The boy was pleading with them, begging for them to let him go, but they just laughed in his face._

 _He wasn't sure what pushed him to do it, but the next thing Ichimatsu knew, he was standing in the alley with his hands in his pockets, just watching the scene unfold without a care. He didn't care. Jyushimatsu should've fought back, then maybe this wouldn't have happened to him. It was his own fault that he was in this mess, he should get himself out of it._

 _It didn't take long for them to notice him though. The three boys sneered at him and tightened their grip on Jyushimatsu, while Jyushimatsu's eyes lit up hopefully. Really, what was that look? Did he honestly expect him to help?_

 _"I-Ichimatsu-niisan...! You're here, I...ah, I..." A small, shaky smile appeared on the abused teen's face as he stared at his brother. He had hoped and hoped that one of his brother's would find him, and here Ichimatsu stood! The smile quickly vanished though as his main abuser kneed him in the stomach, knocking the air out of him. The other two made sure to hold his arms firmly._

 _"What, you think your brother's gonna bail you out of trouble now?" The teen who had kneed him laughed, before grinning at Ichimatsu. "Well, how about it? You gonna come save your 'baby brother'?" He taunted. Ichimatsu narrowed his eyes at him, but didn't bother to say anything._

 _It wouldn't be hard to save Jyushimatsu. He wasn't the best fighter in the family, but he was not to be taken lightly. But he couldn't help but think it wasn't worth it. Why give them a reason to target him? Then it occurred to him; this was a perfect opportunity. This would put the nail in coffin, so to speak. All he had to do was walk away, ignore his brother, and Jyushimatsu would finally get the hint._

 _They weren't friends. They weren't going to stick together like before. He didn't want him around._

 _He'd be lying if he said he didn't hesitate, but he forced himself to turn away anyway. Through the laughter of the bullies, he was pretty sure he heard a choked gasp. "Pfft, haha! Look at that, he just turned away!" He heard one of the other boys laugh at his retreating figure._

 _"W-Wait...Ichimatsu-niisan, wait! Y-You're just gonna leave me?! Nii-san, please don't! H-Help me Nii-san!" The fear in his brother's voice was growing, he sounded desperate. Something inside of him was twisting uncomfortably, telling him to rush back and free his little brother. No, he wouldn't. Screw all of them, it wasn't his job to babysit. A shaky sob was the final straw._

 _"JUST DEAL WITH YOUR OWN PROBLEMS AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" Ichimatsu yelled, his voice holding nothing but spite. Everything became silent after his outburst, and with a shaky breath, Ichimatsu continued on, just wanting to distance himself from everything. No, he wasn't guilty. He didn't feel bad. But then, why did he suddenly feel like he was going to be sick._

 _"Wow, I almost feel bad. Looks like your brothers really can't stand you!" Ichimatsu heard as he turned the corner. Another cry sounded out, followed by a sob. Shit, he had never heard his brother sound so broken._

 _"N-No, that's not true...Ichimatsu-niisan, please...! Don't go...! NII-SAN!"_

 _That scream was going to haunt him forever._

The two brothers sat in silence, Ichimatsu staring at his feet while Osomatsu processed everything. At some point, the dam had broken and Ichimatsu had angry tears running down his face. Osomatsu would be lying if he said his face wasn't wet. But how was he supposed to react to this, what should he say?

"After that..." Ichimatsu croaked out, rubbing at his eyes. "He didn't come home until late that night. His arm was broken, he had cracked ribs...mom had a fit." That's right, Osomatsu remembered his little brother breaking his arm. He had asked what happened in passing, not really even caring enough to hear his answer. "But he left me alone. For a little while."

"Shit, I...I didn't even know the two of you were bullied in school. I knew you started getting into fights, but I never bothered to look into it." Osomatsu looked guilty, watching his little brother sadly. "I can't even really be angry about what you did. We were all guilty of abandoning one another."

"Not Jyushimatsu. He worked the hardest to fix everything." Osomatsu looked at him questioningly, so Ichimatsu continued. "Like I said, he only left me alone for a bit. But once he started coming around again, he had this huge, fake smile on his face all the time. Pissed me off even more."

"The beginning of our tenth year in school! That's why he suddenly changed!" Osomatsu looked surprised. They had investigated Jyushimatsu's change once by searching their photo albums, but even though they saw when the change occurred, it didn't explain why. Ichimatsu nodded slightly.

"It was like he suddenly decided that growing up was too hard and he just reverted into a little kid again. When he started with that stupid smile, people started leaving him alone. It either freaked them out or they thought it was funny. Before long, it went from being fake to just being...Jyushimatsu." Ichimatsu explained, wiping at his face to dry his damp cheeks. Osomatsu nodded in understanding. Ichimatsu had told Jyushi to deal with things himself, so he had.

"Then he started trying to hang around me again." Ichimatsu smiled wryly all of a sudden. "At one point, I even tried to punch him. He just dodged and laughed, then next thing I knew we were in a full blown wrestling match. And then I was in an octopus hold. I still don't know where he learned that." Osomatsu laughed quietly at that.

"So things started getting better between you then, right?" He asked, moving so that he was now touching shoulders with the purple matsu. Ichimatsu nodded a bit, reluctantly shifting to lean his head against the eldest brother's shoulder. All of this emotional stuff was apparently starting to wear him down.

"Maybe a little. It wasn't until our eleventh year that it really started to get better. I had gotten into a fight I couldn't win..."

 _"You stupid...piece of...shit!" Each word was punctuated by a fist to the face. Ichimatsu saw spots dance along his vision, but he didn't stop his thrashing. He wasn't just going to lay here and take it, but he just couldn't get free from their grasps. One against seven had been a stupid idea. What was he thinking? That's right, he wasn't._

 _One guy was sitting on his legs, two others holding his arms. The other four were punching and kicking him wherever they could hit. One guy was even straddling his chest so that he could aim right at his face. Thankfully his punches weren't exactly good, though they still hurt like hell. Growling, Ichimatsu spit the blood that was welling up in his mouth into his face._

 _That earned him another punch and pain shot through his nose. Shit, was his nose broken? Probably. "You're really fuckin' stupid, aren't you!" The teen snapped, wiping the blood from his face. Ichimatsu just glared, jerking his arms in another attempt to get free._

 _"Eh, this doesn't seem fair..." A familiar voice caught Ichimatsu's attention and his eyes widened slight. No way this was happening right now. "Ooh, ooh! I have an idea! Let me play too!"_

 _"Er, you're...Todomatsu?"_

 _"No way dude, look at that stupid grin! Its the retarded brother, Jyushimatsu." All of them snickered at the insult. Ichimatsu felt his blood boil and he didn't even understand why. He didn't care about his brothers, so why get worked up over an insult to one of them?_

 _"Seriously, does it look like we're playing?" Ichimatsu felt a sharp kick to his ribs and couldn't hold in a pained gasp. "Seriously, just get lost you freak. Unless you wanna be our punching bag too!"_

 _Silence was the only response and Ichimatsu felt himself deflate a little. What, had he been getting hopeful? No, of course not. Besides, wasn't this what he deserved after the incident back in 9th grade. Jyushimatsu was probably laughing it up, enjoying his revenge. Maybe he even wanted to join in, wanted to beat the shit out of him until-_

 _A scream tore from someone's throat and Ichimatsu finally found his right arm free. He didn't even hesitate to curl his fingers into a fist and punch the guy that had been sitting on his chest. The blow was strong enough to knock him off of the purple Matsu, and he scrambled to get to his feet. His other arm and legs were quickly freed as well, the other boys jumping away and looking ready for a fight._

 _Ichimatsu got to his feet sluggishly, his entire body aching from the abuse. He wasn't sure how well he could fight, but he sure as hell wasn't just going to leave it alone. But their eyes weren't on him at all. Instead, they stared behind him with mounting looks of horror on their face._

 _Ichimatsu turned quickly, eyes widening just a fraction at what he saw. Jyushimatsu had both the boy's arms twisted back, the bones no doubt at their breaking point. One wrong move and both arms would snap. And it looked like it took no effort at all for the yellow Matsu to manage, his smile just as big on his face as usual. Was this really his little brother that had cried and called out for his help that day? What had happened in two years?_

 _"What the hell do you think you're doing?" One of the teens snapped at Jyushimatsu, fists clenched and ready. "This wasn't even any of your business! Do you want us to mess you up?" Jyushimatsu just stared at them with bright eyes, tilting his head a bit. Ichimatsu wiped some blood from his face, watching his younger brother warily._

 _"Uhm, well you can try. But you'd have to actually come closer first!" Jyushimatsu laughed, releasing the boy's arms suddenly so that he was sent sprawling onto the ground. Jyushimatsu beamed at them, waving them over. "C'mon! C'mon! We'll have lots of fun!"_

 _Ichimatsu glared. "Are you stupid?!" He snapped, just as the other six boys rushed forward, fists raised and ready to strike at the yellow Matsu. Jyushimatsu didn't react right away, not until the first teen was right in front of him. He leaned to the left, and then the right, before bending backwards, dodging each blow that was sent at him. What was most unsettling was that he laughed the entire time, enraging the boys more and more._

 _Ichimatsu was admittedly fascinated. His brother was so fast and predicted every swing and kick with ease. All while smiling. What was his little brother!? Next thing Ichimatsu knew, all movement suddenly halted, Jyushimatsu gripping one of the boy's fists tightly in his hand. The same boy that had been relentlessly beating his face, Ichimatsu noticed. Apparently his grip was strong, because the teen was wincing and grinding his teeth._

 _"Hey. Its my turn now, isn't it? I really wanna play too!" Jyushimatsu hummed, staring directly into the other boy's eyes. His smile suddenly seemed strained and his eyes held something dangerous that made the others take a few steps back. Was that guy shaking? Maybe he'd piss himself. Ichimatsu almost wanted to laugh at the idea._

 _Tightening his grip on the guy's fist, Jyushimatsu suddenly reeled his other arm back and swung, his fist smashing into the teen's nose with enough force to send the the guy flying back a few feet. He fell to the ground unmoving, blood already flowing freely from his nostrils. He was out cold. Everyone just stared._

 _In a sudden flurry of movement, the others quickly grabbed their friend and rushed away, spewing apologies and begging for mercy. Jyushimatsu didn't follow though, his body relaxing as he bounced in place, his smile returning to normal. "Ah, they're done already? Oh well, we can play again later if they want!" He laughed, flapping his hand a bit._

 _Ichimatsu watched them go, before turning his attention to his little brother. His head hurt, his face hurt, 'his whole body hurt'. Even though he wanted to walk away and ignore this, he didn't think his body would let him. His legs were already wobbling a bit. So what should he do?_

 _"You should go to the nurse, Ichimatsu-niisan." Jyushimatsu turned his attention to his brother, walking over and looking him over. "Ahaha! You look really bad! Silly! Silly Nii-san! Getting into a fight like that was super silly!" Jyushimatsu laughed, but Ichimatsu could see the underlying worry in those eyes._

 _"I didn't need your help." Ichimatsu growled out, taking a step back. He internally congratulated himself for not collapsing right there. "I could've handled it...why did you bother?" Jyushimatsu's expression didn't change at all. He simply stared at the older brother. "Hey, answer me! Why did you bother helping me, idiot!" He snapped._

 _Jyushimatsu let out an exasperated sigh, his pupils dilating as he stared at his brother. Frankly, his eyes reminded Ichimatsu strongly of a cat somehow. "Ugh! Nii-san's being really, REALLY silly today!" He huffed, grabbing his brother's arm and pulling it over his shoulder, guiding the injured Matsu back towards the school. "Didn't you hear what I said? You need to go to the nurse!"_

 _Ichimatsu squirmed a bit, but Jyushimatsu had a solid grip on him. Why did Jyushimatsu just completely ignore his question like that? Sure, Ichimatsu ignored him all the time, but it wasn't supposed to be the other way around. Damn Jyushimatsu, he should just go die! Scowling, Ichimatsu looked away, letting the other lead him away in silence._

 _After what he had done to him before, it didn't seem right that Jyushimatsu had come to save him. For the first time, he felt truly guilty. Jyushimatsu had the chance to do the same to him, abandon him to the mercy of those guys back there, but instead, he came to the rescue. And he hadn't taken a single hit! It was actually kind of scary. And...cool._

 _It suddenly hit Ichimatsu hard; he knew absolutely nothing about the little brother he had once considered his best friend. Of course he didn't, he had cut him out of his life almost completely! It was his own fault. The loneliness, guilt, anger, sadness...it was all his fault. If he had just stuck with Jyushimatsu, maybe things would've been different. By his own hand, he had lost his brother._

 _Or did he? Jyushimatsu still put effort into being near him, until Ichimatsu would finally manage to run him off. Even now, Jyushimatsu was supporting most of his weight as they wandered the school halls. Why though? Didn't Jyushimatsu hate him? Shouldn't he? It didn't make any sense!_

 _"Hey, Ichimatsu-niisan?"_

 _Ichimatsu's thoughts came to a halt and he blinked slowly, glancing over to his little brother. "Huh?" It was more of a grunt than an actual word, but Jyushimatsu got the idea._

 _"Could you tell mom I'll be late coming home? I'm gonna be in big trouble for what I did back there! I might get detention for a whole month!" Jyushimatsu's grin widened a bit and he laughed yet again, shifting Ichimatsu's arm a bit. "Don't want her to worry, right? Make sure you tell her!"_

 _And then he looked at his big brother with that big grin of his, eyes bright as he met his gaze. That was probably the first time in forever that Ichimatsu had looked Jyushimatsu in the eyes. It killed him, just how happy that simple act seemed to make his little brother. How low had Jyushimatsu fallen, that something so simple made him happy?_

 _"When they try to give you detention, just tell them it was me. They'll believe it." Ichimatsu found himself saying, before he could catch himself. Too late to take it back though. He deserved it anyway. Jyushimatsu shook his head quickly._

 _"Nope, nope! I'm gonna turn myself in! It looked like it really hurt, so its only right that I get in trouble for it. I'll apologize for hitting him too hard later." Jyushimatsu grinned wider, reaching out and knocking on the door to the nurse's office loudly. "Pardon me!"_

 _"You're so..." Weird. Stupid. Confusing. Forgiving. Kind. There were so many ways he could finish that sentence, but no single word seemed to fit his thoughts. The door opened and the nurse stared, before she let out a startled gasp, dragging Ichimatsu into the room. She was suddenly asking a thousand questions. Ichimatsu's head spun._

 _"She'll take good care of you Ichimatsu-niisan!" Jyushimatsu waved from the doorway. "I'm gonna go to the office now. Don't forget to tell mom, okay?" He reminded._

 _Before Ichimatsu could answer, his little brother was gone._

 _Later that night, Jyushimatsu came home late as expected. Their mother and father were both furious, scolding him for what had happened. They said they expected that behavior from some of the brothers, but not him. Irregardless, Jyushimatsu's smile never wavered. He at least had the decency to look guilty though, apologizing for upsetting them._

 _"Hey, mom? Are there any snacks? I didn't get to eat lunch today because of what happened!" Jyushimatsu asked, at least having the decency to wait until AFTER he was scolded. Matsuyo let out a stressed sigh, holding her head. It was no wonder she was already completely gray. These six boys were going to be the death of her._

 _"Of course. I bought some imagawayaki for you all. Your half should still be on the counter." She motioned towards the kitchen. Jyushimatsu let out a happy noise and immediately rushed into the kitchen, ready to scarf down one of his favorite treats. Looking around eagerly, the teen spotted the large plate that had probably held enough for six._

 _It was empty._

 _Jyushimatsu blinked with wide eyes, searching desperately for any sign of the missing snack. He even went as far as checking under the cupboards. "Eh?! Mom, its not here!" He whined, slouching a bit in despair. He was so hungry right now!_

 _Matsuyo came into the kitchen, looking at the empty plate and frowning, hands on her hips. "Oh, for crying out loud. I'm sorry Jyushimatsu, one of your brothers must have taken it when I wasn't looking." She apologized, lightly rubbing her son's back comfortingly. "Don't worry, I'll have dinner done soon. Try to hold out until then, okay?"_

 _"Waaaah...no fair!" Jyushimatsu groaned, but he quickly recovered with a deep breath. "No, I'll be fine! Super fine! Muscle, Muscle! Hustle, Hustle!" He chanted, waving his arms and smiling at their mother. "Don't worry, I can wait!"_

 _Matsuyo smiled at her son's energy, before ushering him out of the kitchen. Jyushimatsu immediately ran up the stairs and towards the bedroom, doing his best to ignore his protesting stomach._

 _Ever since the brothers had split apart, they all tended to have a single room they stuck to that left as little interaction with the others as possible. Osomatsu preferred the TV room, Karamatsu the roof, and Choromatsu stayed in the dining room to study. Todomatsu usually stayed out until dinner, and then he would head straight to bed. Ichimatsu switched between going out to see the cats and sitting in what used to be their playroom. And Jyushimatsu would just spend his time in their shared bedroom, trying to get his homework done and keep himself entertained._

 _So when Jyushimatsu opened the door to the bedroom, he was more than a little surprised to see someone else. Sitting in the corner, knees drawn to his chest, was Ichimatsu. As soon as the door opened, Ichimatsu lifted his gaze to stare at his younger brother. His face had a lot of bruising, but it wasn't swollen anymore. Jyushimatsu faltered for a moment, before beaming at his older brother._

 _"Ichimatsu-niisan? How come you're in here?" Jyushimatsu asked, kicking the door closed behind him. Ichimatsu didn't answer, which made Jyushimatsu fidget a bit. "Uhm...I'm really glad you told mom I was gonna be late! Thanks for remembering!"_

 _Ichimatsu cursed himself; he was making Jyushimatsu uncomfortable. That's not what he wanted at all! But he just didn't know what to say. His mind was such a jumbled mess. Oh, right. The fourth brother reached beside himself, grabbing a plate and glass of milk, and holding it out reluctantly._

 _On the plate was Jyushimatsu's half of imagawayaki._

 _"Since you'll probably bother me anyway..." Ichimatsu trailed off, looking away, before shaking his head and clearing his throat. "I figured you could eat with me. If you want. I really don't care either way. If you don't, whatever." Shit, he was rambling now. He wanted to stay composed, but now he was falling apart._

 _The plate and glass was pulled from his fingers, a body settling right beside him. "You saved it for me? Thanks Nii-san!" Jyushimatsu bent his head, forcing himself into Ichimatsu's line of sight. "Of course I wanna eat with you! Ichimatsu-niisan's so silly, thinking otherwise!" He laughed, immediately taking a sip of milk. "Ah, its warm! Did you heat it up, Nii-san?"_

 _"Isn't that how you like it...?"_

 _"Huh? Oh, yeah! I guess I just haven't had it for a long time! It used to help me sleep." Jyushimatsu hummed happily, before turning his attention to the pastry on his plate. "Ooh, is that custard?! Mom got custard-filled? That almost never happens!" The boy was practically drooling now, taking an eager bite and groaning with delight._

 _"It was a mistake, she said." Ichimatsu watched as Jyushimatsu devoured the pastry, reaching over to grab his own plate and eating at a slower pace than his eager brother. "I made sure to get it before the others did."_ I figured you'd want it _, was what he actually wanted to say. Jyushimatsu seemed to understand though, because he bumped his shoulder against Ichimatsu affectionately._

 _"Thank you then! Thank you Nii-san!" He laughed, and Ichimatsu only managed to nod. It was sort of surreal, sitting here with Jyushimatsu like this. And his brother acted as if nothing had ever happened between them, as if he had never hurt him. Ichimatsu didn't understand. Maybe he just wasn't capable of understanding. Either way, he felt sort of glad._

 _Jyushimatsu was practically glowing at this point, apparently happy to have company while he ate. It was something so simple, yet Ichimatsu decided that he shared the sentiment. It was kind of nice, having someone there with him. Even if said someone was pretty much holding a one-sided conversation with himself._

 _"Hey, Jyushimatsu?"_

 _"Eh? What is it Nii-san?"_

 _Ichimatsu mulled over what he wanted to say. He wanted to apologize for everything, all of his wrong doings for the last couple of years. How could he explain all of the loneliness and anger he had felt all this time? There was no choice. If he was actually going to make the effort to fix things, he had to talk to his little brother._

 _"I...I think I'll find you at lunch tomorrow. I guess we can sit together there too."_

 _It wasn't at all what he wanted to say! But Jyushimatsu's smile seemed to widen even more and suddenly he was hugging Ichimatsu hard enough to cut off all air to his lungs. The older brother wheezed, fighting the urge to pry his brother away. "Really?! I'm so happy Ichimatsu-niisan! That makes me so happy!" He laughed._

 _Despite the lack of air, Ichimatsu felt his lips twitch a bit. For the first time in however long, he was smiling. It wasn't much, definitely nothing impressive, but it was there. "C-Can't...breathe...!" He wheezed out. Jyushimatsu immediately loosened his grip, though he didn't pull away. Much better. Sucking in a deep breath, Ichimatsu reluctantly allowed an arm to wrap around Jyushimatsu's shoulder._

 _He couldn't say what he wanted to. But he had a feeling that Jyushimatsu somehow understood._

"After that, I stuck around him when I could. We ate lunch together at school. Eventually, the rest of you started sitting with us too." Ichimatsu finished. He was now leaning most of his weight on Osomatsu, his eyelids drooping more than usual. Apparently, the fourth brother was at his limit. He couldn't stay awake much longer.

Osomatsu smiled slightly, glancing down at his tired brother. "It was around the end of our eleventh year, wasn't it? When we all started talking and spending time together again?" He asked, lightly nudging his brother to make sure he was still awake. Ichimatsu nodded his head lazily.

"Yeah. After you went to the hospital." Ichimatsu slurred sleepily. Osomatsu raised an eyebrow at that. When did he go to the hospital again? He didn't quite remember. It probably wasn't important, he thought. He'd remember if it was, right?

"Alright then. I'm glad you talked to be Ichimatsu. But I think we really need to get you to bed." His only answer was a quiet snore. Well, dammit. "Ugh, you're too heavy to carry off of the roof by myself!" The eldest brother whined quietly, staring down at Ichimatsu. Sighing, he couldn't help but smile. Ichimatsu had opened up to him! He was glad.

A soft sniff caught Osomatsu's attention and he quickly glanced over his shoulder. He didn't see anyone, but there was definitely someone there. "Its kind of rude to eavesdrop, don't you think?" He sighed, waiting patiently. It took a few minutes, but unsurprisingly, Jyushimatsu climbed the rest of the way out onto the roof, looking at his brothers guiltily. His eyes were red and his face had dried tear streaks on his face, but his smile had never been brighter. "Hey, hey! Were you crying? What's wrong?"

"I'm really happy. I'm so proud of Nii-san! He talked to you, he told you lots of things! It hurt him a lot to talk about it, but I think he feels better now!" Jyushimatsu rubbed at his eyes, sniffing yet again. "I'm glad he talked to you! Now maybe he can finally let things go." Osomatsu shifted slowly, grabbing Ichimatsu so that he could adjust him. Finally, he managed to turn around to face Jyushimatsu completely, Ichimatsu laying down beside him.

"You're not mad, are you? That he talked to me and not you?" Osomatsu asked, raising an eyebrow. The last thing he wanted was to find out the tears were because Ichimatsu hadn't talked to Jyushimatsu first. But the fifth brother shook his head quickly, laughing.

"Of course not, Osomatsu-niisan! It didn't matter to me who he talked to, I just wanted him to get things out! He's gone around for a long time, keeping all of that in! It was just silly teenage drama! Its about time he forgets about it." Jyushimatsu waved his hand, before bouncing over and grabbing Ichimatsu carefully. "But we should all get to bed now, right? We have to wake up early for the amusement park!"

Oh, right. Osomatsu had almost forgotten. "Maaaaan, I'm gonna be so tired tomorrow!" He groaned, but he got to his feet and moved back towards the house, watching to make sure Jyushimatsu was okay carrying Ichimatsu. The last thing he wanted was to see his two brothers tumble off of the roof. Thankfully though, they made it back inside, all unscathed. Ichimatsu was still sleeping soundly.

Chuckling, Osomatsu held a finger to his lips to remind his little brother to keep quiet, before sneaking back into their room. He went right to Ichimatsu's section of the futon, pulling the blankets back so that Jyushimatsu could lay Ichimatsu down. Once the fourth brother was all tucked in, the other two climbed into their own spots. Osomatsu took the time to glance at the clock and winced. It was already after three in the morning. They needed to be up at seven.

"Hey, Osomatsu-niisan?"

Osomatsu blinked, glancing over top of Choromatsu so that he could see Jyushimatsu. "Hm?"

Jyushimatsu hummed, looking at his brother with a truly happy expression. "You really are the best eldest brother!" He whispered loudly, before laying his head back on his pillow and closing his eyes. Osomatsu blinked slowly at the compliment, before grinning a bit. On the inside, he was soaring.

"Trust me, I know." He teased quietly, before laying back and closing his eyes as well. "Just get some sleep, Jyushimatsu."

Once again, snores were the only thing that answered him.

* * *

"We're so late! We're gonna miss the bus!"

"Ah, brother, if we just hurry-"

"Its your fault for sleeping in Osomatsu-niisan!"

"Isn't it too early to run...?"

"Ahaha! Come on Nii-san, run faster! Faster!"

"We're not too far from the bus, just keep running!"

The six brothers ran down the street as fast as their legs would carry them, a few looking more worn than others. They had three minutes to get to the bus stop, a journey that would usually take at least seven minutes. Maybe the bus would be a few minutes late today or something would stall it until they got there. "There's no way we're gonna make it!" Osomatsu groaned, though he didn't stop.

"Oh! Oh! I can get us there in time!" Everyone paused for a second, looking at Jyushimatsu incredulously. How would he possibly manage that? "Who wants to go first?" Jyushimatsu asked, tilting his head to the side a bit.

Karamatsu suddenly took a step back. "My brothers." He hissed, before turning and rushing down the street at an inhuman pace. "Run if you want to live!" He called back. The others blinked after him, but quickly heeded the warning, darting after the second brother, even Ichimatsu. None of them wanted to be on the receiving end of whatever Jyushimatsu had planned. With a laugh, the fifth brother followed close behind.

They made it to the bus in record time, all six brothers piling on and taking their seats. Thankfully it was pretty empty; Osomatsu and Choromatsu opted to sit together, both still trying to catch their breath. Jyushimatsu had to practically carry Ichimatsu to their own seat, giving his older brother the window seat and fanning him with his overly long sleeves as best he could. Karamatsu sat in the row behind the other brothers, patting the seat beside himself for Todomatsu, but the pink Matsu took the seat in front of them instead, not paying the second brother any mind.

Karamatsu frowned a bit at that, feeling his chest constrict. It wasn't that he wasn't used to that kind of behavior, it had long since become a daily part of his life. But the rejection from his own family still tended to hurt. Was it wrong of him to want to enjoy the company of one his brothers? Sighing quietly, the second brother chose to look out the window, not allowing himself to dwell on those thoughts.

"So, what are we going to do once we get there?" Todomatsu peered around his seat, looking back towards Osomatsu. Even if the youngest wouldn't say so out loud, he was excited for their trip to the amusement park. It was their chance to just brush off the stress of the last few days. He couldn't even remember the last time they had been to one.

"First, we should all probably get something to eat. Since we weren't able to eat breakfast." Choromatsu gave Osomatsu a pointed look, the eldest brother grinning sheepishly. "Anyway, they should have maps of the place. We can plan out where to go while we eat. If we all decide to stick together, we can all choose one ride at a time."

"Roller coaster!" Jyushimatsu's eyes lit up. "We can all go on one! One with a lot of loops and steep drops! Ooh, maybe one that runs out of tracks, and then you have to go backwards!" By now, the fifth brother was waving his arms excitedly, nearly smacking Ichimatsu several times.

Todomatsu stared at Jyushimatsu with mounting horror. A roller coaster wasn't really a problem, but one that went backwards? Where you couldn't see what was happening? "Ah, maybe it'd be easier if we just partnered up?" He suggested, smiling cutely. "I mean, it'd be easier to get around in groups of two. And then we could all get a chance to go on the rides we really want."

"Hm. You realize you'd get stuck with Shittymatsu, right?" Ichimatsu nudged his head back towards the strangely silent second brother. He glanced back, noting the distant look in Karamatsu's eyes sceptically. He wasn't even paying attention to the conversation. "Tch, whatever. I don't care either way. Jyushimatsu and I can ride the roller coasters."

"Hey, hey! Onii-chan will ride the roller coaster's with you!" Osomatsu grinned, wrapping an arm around Choromatsu and pulling him against his side. "Fappymatsu too. Riiiight?" He laughed at the glare the green Matsu sent him.

"Stop with that nickname, you shitty eldest!" Choromatsu growled out, elbowing Osomatsu in the side. Honestly, he wasn't fond of roller coasters, but he could handle it. "We can go on a roller coaster first, but I'm choosing the ride after that." After he finished throwing up, he reminded himself wryly.

"Hmph. Me and Karamatsu-niisan will find something fun to do on our own!" Todomatsu huffed, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms. He could handle a day with Shittymatsu, he did it all the time. They went fishing together, they...they...okay, so fishing was really all they did together anymore. But the second brother wasn't wearing anything embarrassing today, so everything would be fine.

"Alright then, we can split up then. Sound good Karamatsu?" Osomatsu turned in his seat, getting on his knees so that he could look at the blue Matsu. Karamatsu's attention didn't leave the window. Osomatsu furrowed his brows, leaning forwards and nudging him. "Karamatsuuuu! Oi!"

Karamatsu jumped a bit, blinking quickly and looking at Osomatsu with confusion. "Ah, sorry Aniki. I was...just enjoying the beautiful view. Green fields, beautiful clear skies! Just us and nature at its purest!" All of the brothers seemed bewildered, glancing out the windows.

"We haven't even made it out of the city yet!" Choromatsu huffed, leaning around the corner of his seat to look at Karamatsu. "Are you feeling alright Karamatsu-niisan? Maybe you should get some more sleep before we get there." Karamatsu glanced out the window, looking slightly embarrassed, but he was quick to wave it off.

"Don't worry for me, my dear brothers! Apparently my imagination exceeds my own expectations. Perhaps I got lost in a daydream." Karamatsu reassured, smirking slightly. "Ah, yes. It seems I'm longing for a chance to escape the city. I need a chance to spend some quality with Mother Nature!"

"Go for it. Maybe she'll keep you." Ichimatsu muttered under his breath. Jyushimatsu whipped his head around to look at the fourth brother, nudging him a bit. Ichimatsu just shrugged in response, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

Osomatsu stared at Karamatsu for a moment, before suddenly scrambling up his seat and over, ignoring Choromatsu's protests as he nearly kicked the younger in the face. He tumbled ungracefully, falling across the seat and over Karamatsu's lap. "Ow...please be more careful Aniki!" Karamatsu helped his only older brother sit up, allowing him to take the aisle seat.

Osomatsu just smiled at the second brother, leaning closer so that he was resting against him. Karamatsu couldn't help but be suspicious and apparently it showed. "Whaaaat? Onii-chan can't sit with you?" He laughed. "Seriously though, is something bothering you? Its not like you to stay so quiet."

Karamatsu was thankful that Osomatsu kept the question quiet so that no one else heard. "I'm fine Aniki. Really, I just...maybe I didn't get enough sleep, like Choromatsu said. I'd rather you didn't worry about me, my brother." He reassured Osomatsu, before giving his brother a genuine smile. "What about you? Things have been kind of stressful the last few days, haven't they? Are you okay?"

Osomatsu turned his gaze towards the seat in front of him, where Choromatsu had already pulled out a book and was reading, already too engrossed in the novel to pay them any attention. Then he glanced towards Jyushimatsu, who was talking to Ichimatsu excitedly, occasionally pointing out something he noticed through the window. Right now, it was like nothing had happened. Everyone was there and they were fine.

"Yeah. I'm doing fine." Osomatsu gave him his honest answer, sitting up straight again. "Everyone else seems okay, so no point in feeling any different, right? Besides, Choromatsu and Jyushimatsu were the ones that actually had a rough time, not me. Just worry about your younger brothers, okay?" Osomatsu let his arm wrap around Karamatsu's shoulder, dragging the other over so that he was now resting against the eldest. "And I'll do the same."

"Eh? Aniki?"

"You said you were tired, right? Get some sleep before we get there." Osomatsu glanced down at Karamatsu and grinned, rubbing his side gently, before leaning back and closing his own eyes. "Maybe I'll do the same."

Karamatsu wasn't used to this kind of attention. And yet, here he was, a grown man cuddling with his slightly older brother. To be fair, he knew well enough that Osomatsu was the kind of person who expressed his love through touch, rather than words. Actually, that went for all of his emotions really. If the eldest was happy, he would ruffle their hair or hug them. If he were angry, he tended to let his fists do the talking. If he were sad...ah, that didn't happen often. Osomatsu was the type to brush those kinds of problems away.

This was nice though. The touch reminded Karamatsu that he wasn't really unwanted. His brothers did care about him. At least, he hoped so. Sure, Todomatsu seemed to have trouble being around him and Ichimatsu just couldn't stand the sight of him. They all had a habit of ignoring him, but...that was his own fault. Because he was painful and he wasn't sure how to just be the real Karamatsu. No wonder his brothers hated him.

They didn't though! Get rid of those thoughts, bury them so deep they never saw the light of day again! Jyushimatsu enjoyed spending time with him, sitting on the roof and singing. Todomatsu went fishing with him sometimes. Choromatsu spent time trying to find a job right for him. They did care. They did. But Ichimatsu hated him. Damn it, stop!

Karamatsu took a shaky breath, biting his lip and burying his face into Osomatsu's shoulder. The two voices in his head were bickering back and forth, just giving him a headache. They love him. They hate him. They love...no, hate. He gripped his brother's hoodie tightly, inwardly screaming for silence. He didn't want to think about this!

Osomatsu let one eye open, glancing down at his younger brother. He could feel his hoodie growing damp and of course he noticed Karamatsu's shoulders shaking. Sighing softly, he let his hand rest on top of the second brother's head, lightly stroking his hair comfortingly. Karamatsu had a lot of things he kept to himself, Osomatsu knew. They always tormented him, always in good fun of course, but he had hoped that the blue Matsu knew he could come to him any time. Apparently he hadn't made that clear. Not really that surprising, considering how they all treated him. He mentally reminded himself to ease up on the teasing and to make sure the others did the same.

"Seriously, stop keeping so much to yourself. If things bother you, come talk to me about it. I'll listen when you need me to." Osomatsu whispered softly, threading his fingers through his brother's hair. He glanced around, making sure the others weren't listening. They weren't. "You always worry so much about us. Worry about yourself more. Be selfish sometimes."

Karamatsu nodded a bit, letting his older brother's voice silence the battle in his mind. Sure, he was just stressed. Nothing else. Maybe he really did need some personal time. Right now though, his brother's presence was really comforting and warm. His eyelids were starting to get a bit heavy. Sleep sounded good. Just a quick nap.

Osomatsu grinned a bit at the sudden snore, the sound almost right in his ear. At least Karamatsu wasn't the loudest of them. He let his hand move away from the younger's hair, instead resting back on his shoulder. He was really the best big brother. First Choromatsu, then his talk with Ichimatsu, and now Karamatsu. Sure, it didn't feel like anything had been resolved with the second brother. Karamatsu tried so hard to be a good brother. Too hard. He often came off as overbearing and flat out irritating, especially where Ichimatsu was concerned. The sad thing was that if he would just drop the little act he always put on, he would be fine.

The real Karamatsu was confident, strong, and so sure of himself. He was still plenty kind and caring. But he chose to be so over the top, dramatic. He wanted to be cool, impress everyone, including his brothers. In the end, he had created the monster that was Shittymatsu. At this point, Osomatsu wondered if Karamatsu even knew the difference between the two.

There were times that Karamatsu shined through. The real Karamatsu, that is. When something was wrong with his brothers, when his parents were struggling, or when Osomatsu himself had a rough day. It was rare, but he was still in there somewhere. Osomatsu just really wished there was a way he could drag him out and keep him there. Maybe one day. Ah, but then, would Karamatsu still really be him? Who was the real Karamatsu?

"You're a complicated guy. A guilty guy." Osomatsu teased the sleeping second brother quietly, laughing softly. Karamatsu just nudged closer, the hand that had been gripping his red hoodie loosening a bit. Sighing, the eldest brother let his eyes close. A nap really didn't sound bad.

* * *

"Wahoo! Amusement park!"

"J-Jyushimatsu!"

"Wait a minute! We have to get tickets first Jyushimatsu!"

The fifth brother made a disappointed noise, his attention caught by the lines at the multiple ticket booths. There was no way he had the patience to wait! Ichimatsu's hand clamped down on his shoulder, rubbing it reassuringly. "I don't wanna wait! Look how slow its moving Nii-san! It'll close by the time we get our tickets! Boeh!"

Ichimatsu gripped the younger's hoodie, making sure he didn't try to charge in again. "Its not that bad. Its Wednesday, so the lines aren't as long as they are on the weekends. Try to be a little patient." He seemed startled when the younger's eyes suddenly went cat-like and his body stiffened. Was he vibrating? What the hell? "Jyushimatsu?"

"Uh...I'm gonna get the tickets." Osomatsu grabbed his wallet, eying Jyushimatsu warily. "You guys just stay here and make sure he doesn't explode or something. I'll be back as soon as I can!" The eldest rushed forward, finding the shortest line he could.

Choromatsu watched Osomatsu leave, before turning his attention to Jyushimatsu, huffing quietly. "What are you doing? What's with that face?" He huffed, giving his little brother an incredulous look.

"Being patient." Jyushimatsu huffed out, his sleeves already flapping a bit as his arms moved up and down restlessly. All the brothers shared a look, unable to keep from smiling a bit. It was a far cry from yesterday, that was for sure.

"Oi, is that...? Nah, couldn't be."

"No, I think you're right! Fucked up hair, dead eyes, wearing purple...eh, that was Ichimatsu, right?"

Ichimatsu turned his head slightly, glancing back towards a group that was standing just a few feet away. The sight of them made his blood freeze a bit. There were five of them, all with familiar faces. Shit, hadn't he talked about these same guys just last night? They were the same guys from high school, the ones that had beaten the shit out of him before Jyushimatsu had stepped in. Missing a couple though, it seemed.

"Whoops, looks like he heard us." One of them snickered, before examining who he was with. His face immediately turned angry. "And that little piece of shit, Jyushimatsu. Oi, I have a score to settle with you!" He snapped, immediately storming over towards the group. Ichimatsu recognized him as the one that Jyushimatsu had knocked out. Apparently he held a grudge.

By now, all of the brothers had noticed the group advancing on them and Jyushimatsu perked up at his name, his smile returning to his face. He turned, looking at them curiously. "Eh? Do I know you?" He asked, pressing a sleeved hand to his mouth thoughtfully. Somehow, that seemed to make the guy angrier.

"Higuchi Katzumi! The guy you sent to the hospital with a broken nose back in high school!" He growled, grabbing Jyushimatsu by the front of the hoodie. Jyushimatsu hummed thoughtfully, his smile still in place. "You're still as stupid as I remember! Are you fucking kidding me?"

Ichimatsu's fingers twitched, fighting back the urge to jump at the guy and beat the hell out of him for talking to his little brother like that, but he held himself back. No fighting, not yet. "Just put him down. It was a long time ago and we were all pretty stupid. Is it really worth holding on to a grudge this long?" He reasoned, stepping closer and gripping Higuchi's wrist loosely.

Karamatsu, who had still been half asleep the entire time, was suddenly very awake. "We don't want any trouble. So please, just put my little brother down and we'll be on our way." The second brother seemed strangely pale, his eyes flicking back and forth, watching as the other four surrounded them. They were all larger than them, more strongly built.

Todomatsu and Choromatsu both seemed uneasy, the two of them huddling closer to Karamatsu instinctively. Neither of them had ever been great with their fists. Choromatsu was somewhat capable of throwing a punch, but Todomatsu had long since grown out of that. Karamatsu suddenly felt worried for them; he stepped closer to them, putting himself more in between them and their possible attackers.

"Don't want any trouble, huh? Which one are you? Todomatsu? Or Osomatsu? Ah, who cares!" Higuchi snapped, jerking his hand (and Jyushimatsu) away from Ichimatsu's weak hold. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to beat the shit out of you. You were lucky I was forced to change schools after it happened. After I was expelled for the year, of course."

"Its okay, don't worry! I got detention for a really long time because of it. So we both got in a lot of trouble!" Jyushimatsu looked at him, gripping Higuchi's wrist now. "But you know, it wouldn't have happened if you didn't hurt Ichimatsu-niisan! He did something really silly, but you took it way too far."

Higuchi scowled, shaking Jyushimatsu roughly. "Who the hell do you think you are? Are you trying to scold me right now? You piss me off so damn much!" Taking a calming breath, the dark-haired man gave Jyushimatsu a dark smile. "Look, I just want to even the score a bit. You humiliated me, actually broke my nose. People thought it was so funny that Jyushimatsu, of all of the Matsuno brothers, was the one who knocked me out. Even though I was sent to a different school, they still knew about it. Word travels fast."

Choromatsu and Todomatsu both made startled sounds as hands suddenly clamped down on their shoulders from behind in a tight grip. Karamatsu gripped their hands tightly, glaring at one of the other men that approached him. Ichimatsu was in much of the same predicament, teeth grinding as he was blocked from getting to Jyushimatsu. His fists were clenching and unclenching, wanting nothing more than to tear the guy to shreds.

Jyushimatsu noticed, of course, his smile dimming at the sight of his brothers being threatened as well. Higuchi grinned. "So, here's what we're going to do. My buddies are gonna beat the shit out of your brothers, you'll get to see the whole thing. Then, once they finish, I'm gonna beat the shit out of you. And unless you want something worse to happen to them, you're just gonna let me. Right?"

Jyushimatsu fidgeted a bit in his grasp, seeming unsure. He didn't want his brothers getting hurt because of him. But he really didn't want to get hurt either. In this situation, what should he do? The fifth brother looked towards Ichimatsu pleadingly, hoping his older brother had some kind of plan, but the purple Matsu seemed just as unsure. This couldn't possibly end well for any of them.

"Jyushimatsu! Octopus hold!"

Jyushimatsu blinked, his smile lighting back up suddenly. He twisted and turned in ways that couldn't be natural, until Higuchi was trapped in a tangled mass of limbs. He cried out in pain as his limbs were twisted and bent, cursing and struggling to get free. "Ahaha! Don't squirm so much! It'll just make it hurt more!" Jyushimatsu laughed.

Todomatsu and Choromatsu both yelped as the two men that had been holding onto them were suddenly tackled away by a blur of red, three bodies rolling onto the ground in a mess of limbs. Osomatsu was there now, punching and kicking with as much force as he could muster, growling out as they attempted to fight back against his blows. One grabbed him, tugging him back and locking his arms to his sides, while the other struggled to stand, wiping blood from his mouth.

"Osomatsu-niisan!" Choromatsu called out worriedly, clenching his fists. He couldn't just stand there, couldn't just stand by uselessly! Sure, he wasn't the best fighter, but he was fully capable of trying! Huffing in exasperation, the green Matsu rushed forward, landing a solid kick against the one that held his brother. Was that ribs cracking?! Oh, that was sickening. Choromatsu shuddered, but quickly brushed it off. Now wasn't the time to worry about those things.

Osomatsu was released just in time to side step a punch from the other guy, bringing his foot up and kicking him back into a light pole. He at least had the decency to wince when the man's head cracked against the pole and he collapsed to the ground unconscious. Letting out a sigh, the eldest brother turned and gave Choromatsu a grin and a thumbs up. "Nice one, Choro! Didn't know you had it in you."

Neither did I, Choromatsu thought wryly. He had already retreated to Osomatsu's side, his hands wringing together nervously. He had just cracked a guys ribs! The guy was understandably livid, already getting on his feet and advancing on him. "I-Its your fault, you shitty eldest brother! You're the worst influence! Seriously, the worst!"

Osomatsu smiled a bit, gripping his nervous brother's shoulder reassuringly. "Hey, its fine. Everything's going to be fine." He gently nudged Choromatsu behind him, looking ahead at the blond that that was gripping his injured side, his fists clenched and ready. Osomatsu seemed gleeful with the situation. He was in his element, fighting while protecting his little brothers.

By now, Karamatsu had joined the fight as well, making sure to keep himself between his brunette attacker and Todomatsu at all times. The youngest had his face buried in his hands, though Karamatsu had a feeling it had more to do with protecting his face, rather than not wanting to see the violence. It was fine though. Karamatsu had only taken a couple of light blows, mostly to his shoulders and arms; he was quick and light on his feet. Still, he couldn't seem to get a good hit on his target. The guy just kept punching and kicking, not leaving any openings.

"This is completely senseless! Why even bother attacking us? This happened in high school, right? Were you even involved at all?" Karamatsu tried to reason, dodging another punch aimed at his face. Unfortunately he wasn't able to block the knee to his gut, forcefully exhaling all air from his lungs and collapsing to his knees. His arms wound around his injured stomach, groaning out in pain.

"I was there, I saw the whole thing! The whole thing was bullshit. Ichimatsu there comes, starts some shit with us, and then can't handle himself! So, Jyushimatsu shows up, some kind of knight in shining armor, and finishes things off! Then my buddy's the one who gets expelled? How was that fair?" The brunette sneered, grabbing Karamatsu by the hair and jerking his head back, forcing him to meet his gaze. "And frankly, you Matsuno brothers were always a pain in the ass. Half of you thought you were something special. All of you pissed me off."

"I really hope you all realize how petty this whole thing sounds. We're all adults now." Karamatsu wheezed out, glaring up at the brunette now. It actually sounded cheap, coming from his own mouth. They were NEETs, after all. Still, they somehow had more sense than these guys. He couldn't keep from smirking. "Heh. Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs. But if that's the path you've chosen for yourself, who am I to judge?"

"Now's not the time for painful lines!" Todomatsu snapped from behind his brother, finally having looked to see what was happening. He was caught between trying to help Karamatsu and just selfishly staying out of the way. Besides, there wasn't much he could do. He wrestled with his brothers now and then, but they always tended to go easy on him. He wasn't strong. Sure, he went to the gym, but that was just to maintain weight, not build muscle. Muscle wasn't cute.

Shaking the distracting thoughts away, Todomatsu swallowed nervously. He gave his cutest smile, clasping his hands together as he stared at the brunette. "Please don't mind my Nii-san! We honestly have no idea what's happening." His eyes became teary and he looked away shyly. "If you could find it in yourself to look away this once..."

Karamatsu glanced back at his brother. Leave it to Todomatsu to try to pull some sly maneuver to get out of the situation. To his surprise, the brunette released his hair and stepped around Karamatsu to step in front of Todomatsu. He gripped the youngest brother's chin gently, forcing him to look at him.

"Heh, Todomatsu, right?" Todomatsu fought the urge to jerk away, only nodding slightly. The guy gave him a disgusting grin. "I admit, I always did like you. You were popular, social, adorable. But you never really acknowledged people like me." He leaned closer, chuckling a bit. "What if I say I'll over look your brothers? All you have to do is come with me for a bit."

"W-What...?"

Was this guy seriously implying what Todomatsu thought he was? Oh God, what did he get himself into? He jerked away, only to be seized by the arm. He struggled, he screamed. This guy was sick, disgusting! There was no way in hell he'd go with him! "Come on, don't be like that. We can have a good time!"

"Let go of me! You're disgusting, there's no way I'd ever go with someone like you!" Todomatsu snapped, squirming more in an attempt to get free. There was nothing he could really do though. If this guy wanted, he could probably snap his arm like a twig. The idea made Todomatsu sick to his stomach.

It never came to that though. The brunette let out a pained gasp and fell forward onto his knees, before being grabbed and forcefully turned. Karamatsu's fist connected with his face, and then again. Over and over. The second brother's eyes were narrowed and angry, his fists slowly getting soaked in blood. Todomatsu had never seen the likes before. It didn't take long for the poor guy to begin begging for mercy, trying to get away, but the blue Matsu wouldn't stop.

"Karamatsu-niisan, stop!" Todomatsu cried out, gripping his older brother's arm in an attempt to halt his punches. "That's enough, its over! You could kill him, hitting him like that! Do you want to be arrested for murder? You idiot!"

"Its what his kind deserves!" Karamatsu turned his attention to Todomatsu, the younger flinching away fearfully. There was so much animosity in the second brother's usually gentle gaze. Karamatsu seemed to notice his brother's discomfort though, his gaze softening a bit as he allowed the brunette to escape his grip. "I'm sorry Totty. He almost hurt you and the implications...I reacted poorly."

"N-No...its fine Karamatsu-niisan. I'm fine." The pink Matsu fidgeted, before letting out a sigh of relief. The brunette was dealt with, and both him and Karamatsu were okay for now. Was Karamatsu really okay though? It didn't matter right now, his other brothers were still fighting their own battles. They weren't in the clear just yet.

"Tch. What a pain in the ass." Ichimatsu had allowed himself to relax, seeing that Jyushimatsu had his own situation under control and that his other brothers seemed to be okay now as well. But now, he was stuck facing the same guy that had been preventing him from getting to the fifth brother the entire time. Honestly, he didn't feel like fighting, but the black-haired guy in front of him seemed fired up.

Ichimatsu let his eyes examine the guy closely, before his eyes landed on an arm-band the man wore on his right arm. "You're in one of the Yakuza houses, huh?" He asked in a bored tone. It was cause for some concern, but looking at them, he doubted they had any real standing. "Not too often you all get into some random street fight. Why are you bothering?"

The man seemed slightly unnerved by Ichimatsu's bored tone of voice, not to mention that dead-eyed stare. "What's with you? You're seriously creepy." He muttered under his breath. Ichimatsu seemed to hear him though, a grin stretching onto his face. Wait, was his teeth...pointed? What was he, an animal?! He couldn't keep from taking a step back.

"Heheh...what's wrong?" Ichimatsu chuckled, the sound sending a shiver down the guy's back. Ichimatsu took a step closer, burying his hands into his hoodie pocket. "You seemed so sure just a few seconds ago. Now you almost seem scared. Are you gonna piss yourself? Ashamed that trash like me can intimidate you? You should be."

"Who said anything about being scared? Think you're tough shit? Why don't you come over here and prove it?" The man snapped, though he made no move to engage Ichimatsu himself. The fourth brother seemed amused by that, his grin dimming down to a twisted smirk. "What are you smirking at?!"

"You should just get out of my way. Go help one of your friends or something, I don't care." Ichimatsu walked forward, pushing by him roughly. The guy seemed to want to stop him, looked like he wanted to say or do something, but in the end he rushed over to the brunette that Karamatsu had done a number on.

The fourth brother stopped in front of Jyushimatsu and Higuchi, staring down at Higuchi with a look full of malice. The guy wanted to hurt his little brother so bad? He'd make sure he thought against it in the future. Of course, he was already crying out for mercy, Jyushimatsu's grip on his straining his limbs still rock solid.

"Ah, Ichimatsu-niisan!" Jyushimatsu beamed at his brother, but Ichimatsu noticed the strain in his smile. He was starting to to sweat a bit, his arms twitching a bit. "I think I'm gonna have to let go. My back hurts again."

Ichimatsu frowned, nodding in understanding. Shit, what if all this movement opened up Jyushimatsu's injury? And speaking of the injury...Ichimatsu suddenly ground his teeth, gripping Higuchi's hair in a rough hold. "Let him go Jyushimatsu." He ordered. Jyushimatsu seemed unsure for a moment, but did as he was told. Once he was free, Ichimatsu threw him to the ground by his hair, slamming a foot onto his chest to keep him there.

"W-What the fuck?!" Higuchi gasped out. Ichimatsu glared down at him and he was pretty sure if looks could kill, he'd be in hell right now. "You fucking piece of shit, get off of me!" He snarled, moving to kick the purple Matsu away, only to find his legs suddenly stilled. Looking down, he was met with the sight of Jyushimatsu sitting on them, effectively pinning them in place.

"Where were you yesterday?" Ichimatsu asked coldly, his heel digging into Higuchi's chest. Higuchi sputtered out insults and curses, thrashing around in an attempt to free himself. Ichimatsu felt a wave of anger crash into him and he lifted his foot, stomping down on his chest. "I asked you a question!"

Higuchi let out a pained cry. "Why does it matter?! Its none of your business!" He wheezed, moving his hands to cover his chest. Sure, the smart thing to do would be to answer Ichimatsu's questions, but he was never considered bright.

Ichimatsu was seething now. A big part of him wanted to torture the hell out of this guy, break bone after bone until all of his questions were answered. A smaller part reminded him that his brothers were there though, including Jyushimatsu and Totty. What kind of influence would he be to his slightly younger brothers if he just gave in to his violent urges. "Were you anywhere near Jyushimatsu yesterday?" He asked.

Higuchi stared at Ichimatsu, seeming to contemplate the question, before he burst into laughter. "I get it, I get it! Little brother got hurt, so now you wanna go all noble! You wanna get even!" Hot-headed and stupid, that was what Higuchi was. But he didn't care. "I remember a time when you never wanted to be around him. You used to yell at him or storm off if he got anywhere near you. Everyone noticed it. Are you trying to make amends now or some shit?"

That hurt. Ichimatsu could practically feel the knife lodging itself deeper and twisting all around. He already admitted to being a shitty brother, admitted his wrong doings and past mistakes. Ichimatsu felt his heart thump in his chest. His foot moved on its own, hovering just over Higuchi's face. He could crush his head under his foot like an egg.

"Ichimatsu-niisan has nothing to make amends for!" Jyushimatsu's voice cut through the dark thoughts, making the fourth brother freeze. What was he thinking just now? Did he really wanna kill the guy? "He made up for it a long time ago! He spends time with me and plays baseball with me! Sometimes, he even asks for me to walk with him or visit the cats! We have so much fun!"

"Jyushimatsu...sorry." Ichimatsu mumbled, stepping back from Higuchi. Right, Jyushimatsu had forgiven him. That's all that really mattered.

Sirens rang out from a distance. In a flurry of movement, Higuchi's gang had gathered the injured and rushed down the street, while the sextuplets made a mad dash back to the amusement park's gates. Someone had called the cops, not that it was surprising. That had been a serious confrontation, after all.

Osomatsu practically threw their tickets at the poor boy working the booth and they all ran inside, dodging people left and right. Thankfully, there was a food court nearby and they all moved to sit at one of the picnic tables, the three older brothers taking one side while the three younger took the other.

"You guys are killing me. You're killing your Onii-chan! Are you happy?" Osomatsu groaned, burying his face into his arms that rested on the table. They had come here to relax, to get away from the stress of the last few days, and yet danger seemed to follow them. When he had turned back after getting their tickets, just to see his little brothers surrounded by some common thugs, he had panicked and moved right into action.

"They came out of nowhere! Did they follow us here?" Todomatsu suddenly seemed paranoid, glancing around warily. "Were they the ones that hurt Jyushimatsu-niisan yesterday?" He asked in a quieter voice. All of the brothers remained silent. They had all been thinking it.

"They were wearing arm bands that had the symbol of one of the Yakuza houses on it. It was dangerous for us to fight them at all in the first place." Karamatsu pointed out, rubbing his neck. Blood was crusted on his knuckles, proof that he had lost himself. He was ashamed of himself, but he was also glad that he had managed to protect Todomatsu. So, so glad.

"The Yakuza aren't some common street gang. They have bigger fish to fry than a group of shitty sextuplets that picked a fight with them in high school." Ichimatsu scowled, looking away from his brothers. It was just him that had picked that fight back then. It was coming back to bite him in the ass. Unlucky fourth brother indeed.

"Ichimatsu's right. Whatever their issue with Jyushimatsu is, it probably ends with just them." Choromatsu agreed, sighing heavily. His hands were still shaking from the encounter. "But then, that really makes it seem likely that yesterday had something to do with them."

"Maybe...maybe I should just let them do whatever they want." Jyushimatsu spoke timidly, so unlike his usual self. Everyone looked at the nervous fifth brother, frowning at his words disapprovingly. "If they just get it over with, then they'll leave us all alone, right? Then no one else will get hurt."

Osomatsu lifted his head from his arms, looking at Jyushimatsu now. "They mess with one brother, they mess with all of us. Got it? We're in this together, like it or not. And don't forget, there's still the question about Choromatsu's panic attack. Something or possibly _someone_ caused that. We can't jump to conclusions just yet." Osomatsu grinned at his little brother, reaching over to ruffle his hair lightly. "Now, we're here to relax and have fun. Those guys won't be coming back with those sirens, so let's enjoy it."

All the brothers seemed to perk up at the reminder. Right now, they were at an amusement park for the first time since they were kids! They couldn't let it go to waste! "There we go, that's better." Osomatsu seemed relieved, seeing his brothers spirits lifted a bit. "But before we start having fun, its time for Onii-chan's Little Brother Wellness Check! Karamatsu!"

"Worry not, my brother! Just a few minor bruises that will heal in no time at all. I worry more for the gentleman that faced me."

"Good. Choromatsu!"

"I'm fine. Just shaken up, I guess."

"Okay. Ichimatsu?"

"Mm. Didn't lay a hand on me."

"Heh, way to go. Jyushimatsu?"

"Ah, I think my back opened up...but I'm okay! I'm fine! Thank you, Homerun King!"

"Choromatsu brought the bandages with him, just in case. He'll get you fixed back up. Totty!"

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. Just really glad its over."

"Understandable." Osomatsu watched the youngest for a moment, noting how he rubbed at his arm and kept his eyes averted. He was shaken, just too proud to say so. "Sounds like everyone's okay then. The bathrooms are over there, so we can clean up real quick. Then we can have some lunch! I'm starving!" The brothers nodded in agreement, all of them getting up and walking towards the bathrooms. Choromatsu lingered back for a moment, looking at the eldest. "Something wrong Choro?"

"Are you okay, Osomatsu-niisan?" The third brother asked, looking over Osomatsu. He didn't see the eldest get hit, but when he had tackled those two guys to the ground, he had hit pretty hard. Osomatsu blinked for a moment, before grinning and getting up, slinging an arm around his younger brother.

"Aw, you were worried about me? Don't worry, I'm fine! Barely a scratch!" Osomatsu reassured, messing up his brother's usually perfect hair. "When it comes to fights like that, you don't have to worry about me. I can handle myself. Though, I'll admit, the way you kicked that guy was amazing. I could hear his ribs crack! You should think about taking a self defense class or something, hone those skills, you know?"

Choromatsu shuddered at the reminder. "I don't know about that. I didn't mean to kick him that hard and it was disgusting, hearing his bones just..." Choromatsu grimaced, shaking his head. "Self defense doesn't sound too bad though. Especially with the way the last few days have gone."

"I think there's a Rec Center that teaches free classes now and then. Maybe its something to look into." Osomatsu shrugged, glancing over at his brother. "Maybe it could help with your anxiety and confidence, you know?"

"I'll think about it."

Osomatsu nodded, pulling away from his brother and shoving his hands into his hoodie pocket. "Now go get yourself straightened out and help Jyushimatsu out. The sooner you guys finish, the sooner we can eat!" The eldest inhaled deeply, groaning in delight and nearly drooling. "Can't you smell all of the amazing food? Huuuuurry!" Choromatsu rolled his eyes and made his way to the bathroom, waving his hand at the red Matsu's antics.

"You really are a miraculous idiot, Osomatsu-niisan!"

* * *

Drop me a review if you feel like it! Let me know what you think so far! :)


	4. Chapter 4

"Karamatsu-niisan?"

Karamatsu paused, glancing back at Todomatsu as he munched on the remainder of his french fries. They had all separated about ten minutes ago, and now Karamatsu was just waiting for his youngest brother to find a ride he wanted to go on. "Have you picked one?" He asked, turning to fully face Todomatsu now.

Todomatsu shook his head. "No, not yet." He sighed, looking at the second brother with a critical eye. There was so much bothering him right now after what happened at the amusement park's gates. "I was just wondering something. Where did you learn to fight like that? I don't remember you getting into a fight since we were kids." Of course, Todomatsu knew that wasn't saying much. Just like all the others, he was guilty of turning his back on his brothers throughout middle school and high school. Karamatsu could've gotten into all kinds of trouble back then and he wouldn't have known.

"Oh, that? I wouldn't say that I'm really any good at fighting. I'm better at avoiding injury, and even then, I don't do that well." Karamatsu chuckled, rubbing on one of his shoulders. It was going to have an ugly bruise in the morning. "But I do go to the gym. I do weight lifting twice a week, so I definitely have some muscle." The second brother struck a pose, flexing his arms and smirking.

"What? You go to the gym too? After all of you threw a big fit about me going without telling you, you're guilty of doing the same!" The pink Matsu narrowed his eyes and pointed an accusing finger at the older brother, huffing in irritation. "You're a hypocrite!"

"As I recall, my dearest Totty, it was Osomatsu and Choromatsu that pressed you for information. I simply sat back and listened." Karamatsu seemed somewhat amused by his little brother's aggravation. "I've learned that we're all entitled to have our secrets. I wouldn't press any of you to reveal yours to me if you didn't want them known. And I would hope that you would all return to favor."

"Huh? Are you saying you have a lot of secrets, Karamatsu-niisan?" Todomatsu asked, genuinely curious. Karamatsu's expression fell a bit, looking at Todomatsu with a slight shrug. "You do, don't you? That's really unfair!" Todomatsu pouted a bit, even crossing his arms over his chest and poking out his bottom lip. "You keep secrets and no one minds. I keep a few secrets and its the end of the world!"

"To be fair, none of my secrets are really as big as climbing mountains. Or getting a secret job." Karamatsu shrugged, looking away and rubbing his head. Todomatsu recognized the nervous gesture. "Now, we're trying to find a ride, aren't we?"

 _Liar_ , Todomatsu thought with a frown. Karamatsu was totally lying and now he wanted to change the subject. "But you DO have some. Honestly, I'm a bit surprised." Todomatsu hummed thoughtfully. It wouldn't really be right to pry, but he was so curious! What kind of secrets could Karamatsu, of all the brothers, be hiding? It had to be something embarrassing. Something that even Karamatsu couldn't spew on and on about. But what? Ooh, he had to ask!

"Todomatsu! Is that you?"

The pink Matsu froze, a mounting look of horror on his face. Oh no, oh no, oh no! Not here, not now! Looking around, Todomatsu did indeed notice a hand waving at him from within the crowd that walked along the paths of the amusement park. His cheeks suddenly felt warm. This couldn't be happening!

"Hm? Is that a friend of yours Totty?" Karamatsu asked, looking curiously towards the stranger. It was no one he recognized, so it must have been one of the many friends Todomatsu kept them hidden from. He seemed a good bit older than his youngest brother too. It was surprising, to say the least. He glanced back at said youngest brother, before frowning with worry. "Huh? Totty, your face is getting really red! Are you okay?"

"Ah it...it must be this heat!" Todomatsu squeaked out, fanning himself with his hands. "Would you mind getting me something drink, Karamatsu-niisan? I think I'll just sit on that bench over there!" Todomatsu pointed to a nearby bench, an innocent smile on his face. Karamatsu didn't seem to really buy it, but he nodded in agreement all the same, going to find a nearby stand that would sell wanter. Todomatsu immediately let out a sigh of relief.

"It is you Totty! I haven't heard from you since last week." Checking to make sure Karamatsu was out of sight, Todomatsu quickly turned around to face the man, looking up at him with a weary smile. "Off work today, huh?"

"Yes! I'm really surprised to see you at an amusement park, Atsushi." He made sure to perk back up, smiling sweetly at the older man. He couldn't keep from letting his eyes rove over him though, a light blush settling on his cheeks. Todomatsu was so used to seeing Atsushi dressed formally in a suit, but now the man was wearing casual clothing. It was nothing extravagant, just a plain, navy blue t-shirt with some yellow design on it and some black jeans. It still managed to look good in his eyes though.

Atsushi gave a small shrug, smiling at Todomatsu. "It was my day off and I just needed some time to unwind. Have fun, you know? Is it really so strange to see me at a place like this?" Todomatsu shook his head quickly.

"I've only ever seen you after you've gotten out of work. Even then, we usually go to a mixer or something." Smiling sheepishly, Todomatsu gripped Atsushi's arm loosely. "Why don't we walk and talk? I wanna look around for awhile!" Atsushi seemed surprised, but nodded in agreement, allowing Todomatsu to tug him in another direction.

They chatted for awhile, just talking about the last few days and what rides might be interesting to try out. It was enough to make Todomatsu forget the real reason he was here. Or that he was here with his brothers to begin with. Thankfully they hadn't bumped into any of them. He was pretty sure he'd die if they did.

"So, Totty?"

"Hm?"

"Was that one of your brothers that was standing with you when I found you?"

Todomatsu's eyes widened and he looked up at Atsushi with obvious surprise. He quickly feigned ignorance. "Brothers? I don't have brothers, you know that. I'm an only child." He insisted innocently, a cute smile on his face. Atsushi raised an eyebrow, before chuckling.

"I ran into a couple of your friends yesterday, at Sutabaa. They told me about your brother collapsing in the street. And they may have mentioned something about sextuplets. Or were they pulling my leg?" Atsushi hummed, watching Todomatsu's reaction with amusement.

Needless to say, Totty was horrified! He didn't expect the two girls to run their mouths to everyone he knew! What happened to keeping secrets? Not that he ever said anything to them about it being a secret, but still! This was so bad! And embarrassing! What was he supposed to say now? Atsushi knew he was a liar! The only option was to come clean and he was dreading it.

"I...I'm so sorry!" Todomatsu squeaked out, bowing in a show of regret. "I'm sorry for lying to you! Its just, being sextuplets is weird, isn't it? And being the youngest is the worst! My brothers are so weird and embarrassing, I wouldn't want anyone to have to deal with them!" He rambled, biting his lip lightly.

"Whoa, whoa! Easy!" Atsushi chuckled, holding up his hands in a placating way. "You don't have to apologize. I understand what you're saying." He reassured, reaching out to ruffle Todomatsu's hair through his beanie. "Having so many older brothers must be hard. Do they tease you a lot?"

Todomatsu stood straight again, looking at Atsushi with clear surprise. He wasn't mad and he sounded like he was sympathizing with him. "They tease me sometimes. They're usually just embarrassing though." He explained, before the dam broke loose. "Like my oldest brother, Osomatsu! He's so girl obsessed! Its no wonder he doesn't have any restraining orders on him! And the second one, Karamatsu, you should SEE the clothes he tries to wear! He has a shirt with his own face on it! Choromatsu can't even look at a girl without turning into a mess! Then there's Ichimatsu. He's obsessed with cats, of all things! But he can't stand being around people! Isn't that weird? And don't get me started on Jyushimatsu! He's super sweet, but he's always so hyper. Not to mention its near impossible to get him to talk about anything but baseball!" He exhaled deeply, rubbing at his temples. "Being the youngest brother is difficult!"

By now, Atsushi had lead Todomatsu away from the path and sat him down on the bench, listening to every word curiously, though he couldn't help laughing. "Must be rough." He snickered. Despite his humor though, he rubbed the younger man's back gently. Todomatsu huffed at the teasing tone. "Trust me, I know big brothers can be terrible sometimes. But they rarely ever mean it."

"How would you know? I mean, there was this one time that they almost got me fired from Sutabaa! Trust me, that was no accident." The youngest brother took a deep calming breath, sighing heavily. "They're the worst. The two girls that worked there with me quit a few days after." He wouldn't admit that it was because he had embarrassed them and himself at the mixer they had invited him to. They couldn't stand being around him after that.

"Really? Did you do something to make your brothers mad?" It wasn't any of his business, Atsushi knew, but he more curious about Todomatsu than ever before. What other secrets did the younger man keep. "Surely they wouldn't do any of that without being provoked first."

"Of course they would! I didn't do anything!" Todomatsu protested, before looking away. "I-I mean...I didn't do anything really wrong. I may have told a few lies, but..." Having a job, saying that he went to Keio, not telling anyone about his brothers, and then not telling his brothers about the mixer really did make him sound horrible. If it had been another brother doing the same, he'd probably be pretty angry too.

"The last time one of my little brothers lied to me about something, I completely humiliated him in front of his girlfriend. Man, that was years ago. But keeping little brothers in line can be difficult." Atsushi chuckled at the memory, completely ignoring the shocked look on Todomatsu's face. "Big brothers can be terrible sometimes, I'll admit. But I like to think that most of them would do anything for their little brothers in the end."

"You have brothers? And you're the oldest? You never told me that!" This was a new development entirely. Atsushi never talked about his family, much like himself. Plus, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't interested in getting to know his older friend a little better. "You pick on them too. That's awfully mean of you, Atsushi."

"Of course I pick on them, its what big brothers do." The older man smiled fondly, clearly thinking of his family now. "I have two younger brothers. There's five years between me and Sato, and nine years between me and Matsui. With the age difference, it was always hard for me to get along with Matsui. Not to mention, with him being the youngest, mom and dad always spoiled him the most."

Todomatsu blushed a bit at that. Their parents did tend to spoil him just a bit when they were younger. He remembered when his mom would sometimes sneak him an extra cookie or when his father would give him just a few coins more than his brothers. He was used to that kind of stuff. And even when he would rub it in his brothers faces, they never actually seemed bothered by it. They would poke fun at him and pout, but it always seemed to be in good fun. In hindsight, the others probably pretended to be him at times to get some extra themselves.

"Sato and I were always closer though. He used to follow me everywhere, always wanting to spend time with me. When we were a lot younger, I used to be so mean to him. I'd blame him when anything broke or went missing. But once I grew up a bit more, I really liked having him around. Getting to teach your younger brothers can give you a real feeling of accomplishment." Atsushi glanced at Todomatsu, humming thoughtfully. "But you and your brothers are all the same age, so maybe its not quite the same."

"I guess its not unlike that. Some of us are closer than others and we all have different interests for the most part." Todomatsu looked thoughtful. "Like, I enjoy playing Pachinko with Osomatsu-niisan. Or playing board games with Jyushimatsu-niisan, even if he usually doesn't understand the rules. Fishing with Karamatsu-niisan can be fun, even with his painful clothes." It was harder to think of anything he enjoyed doing with Ichimatsu or Choromatsu though. "Ah, but Ichimatsu-niisan only likes to torment me and Choromatsu-niisan is always calling me a dried-up monster."

"Well, you mentioned earlier that this Ichimatsu isn't good around people, right? Maybe tormenting you is the only way he's comfortable interacting with you." Atsushi suggested, looking thoughtful. "And maybe by calling you a...dried-up monster, Choromatsu's saying he finds your behavior hurtful. Of course, I don't know either of them very well, so I can't say for sure. Take what I say with a grain of salt."

It sounded reasonable enough. Thinking it through, Ichimatsu was pretty awkward with everyone, except for Jyushimatsu. The fifth brother was equally awkward though. And Choromatsu had once said that he didn't believe Totty had a heart. At the time, it was all because he hadn't bothered to tell his brothers things, like climbing Mt. Fuji. But what if that's how his brother always felt about him?

"Maybe you're right. We're not really close, so it'd make sense." Todomatsu leaned back on the bench, looking up at the sky now. It looked like it was probably about noon now and he had yet to go on a single ride. Talking with Atsushi was nice though. "What about you and your brothers? Are you guys still close?"

"No, not really. I haven't talked to any of my family in a few years. There were some...complications in our relationship." Atsushi let out a heavy sigh, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. "Not since my last year of college, as a matter of fact. That was three years ago. They didn't take the news of my bisexuality well."

Todomatsu's shoulders slouched and he looked at Atsushi sadly. Atsushi had already told him a long time ago that he was bisexual. Needless to say, he had no problem with his friends preferences. All that should matter is that he was happy with whatever partner he chose, right? Apparently everyone didn't think the same way. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. I didn't know it was a sensitive subject." He wholeheartedly meant the apology.

"Look, Totty." Atsushi rested a hand on the younger's shoulder, giving him a soft smile. "If your family loves you and they accept you for who you are, you shouldn't take that lightly. Don't try so hard to be someone you're not. Don't be embarrassed of who you are or where you came from." Todomatsu nodded slightly at the advice. "And be just as accepting of your family too. Even if they can be embarrassing, they are important, right? Don't take it for granted."

Todomatsu mulled over the words for a moment, before nodding in agreement. The possiblity of losing his brothers, whether it be on their terms or because he pushed them away really didn't sit well with him when he actually thought about it. It'd be lonely without them around, he realized. "Mm. You're right. I'll do my best to be better around them."

* * *

"Oi, Osomatsu-niisan?"

Osomatsu sulked as he once again failed to knock over all the bottles, finally deciding to give up on the game. He admittedly wanted the red panda plush that was hanging so innocently from the booth, but luck just wasn't on his side today. Letting out a disappointed sigh, the eldest turned his attention to the third brother, humming for him to continue.

"Do you think the Yakuza could really be after us...?" Choromatsu reluctantly asked, looking away from his brother. They were here to relax, but he couldn't stop thinking about it! On one hand, it seemed so stupid to even consider it. It sounded like they were just paranoid. On the other hand, after what happened just outside of the amusement park, it seemed that it could be possible. And the more he thought on it, the scarier it became in his mind.

"You're still thinking about that? C'mon Choro, we need to get your mind off of that." Osomatsu grabbed his younger brother's arm, dragging him along with him. "Remember, we're here to relax, so relax! What happened out there was just a coincidence. We ran into a few guys that have a problem with Jyushi that just so happen to also be in one of the Yakuza families. That's it."

"But that's not the first time its happened! There was that guy back in high school too! What if they're trying to get even?" Choromatsu nearly walked right into the oldest brother as Osomatsu stopped abruptly. "Huh? Osomatsu-niisan?" Osomatsu let go of his arm and looked at Choromatsu, looking confused.

"What do you mean its not the first time? What happened in high school?" Osomatsu asked, raising an eyebrow. You would think he'd know about some encounter with the Yakuza before. Was Choromatsu keeping something from him. He almost wanted to be angry, but he'd wait for now.

Choromatsu stared at Osomatsu for a moment, before scowling and slapping him upside his head. "Stupid eldest brother! That's not something you just forget!" Choromatsu snapped, crossing his arms and glaring weakly. "How could you forget something like that? You nearly died, you ended up in the hospital! You were really lucky that day."

Osomatsu furrowed his brow, thinking back. Didn't Ichimatsu mention something about him ending up in the hospital in their eleventh year? He really _should_ remember something like that. He rarely ever went to the hospital, so whatever happened had to be serious. Think back, think back...

 _The lot was empty. There used to be all kinds of construction equipment and pipes stored for use, but it had all since been cleaned up and cleared out. It used to be where him and his brothers would go to play or to torment Chibita in their free time. There was a playground nearby too, so it only made sense to hang around here at the time. They had been kids, they used to have fun. Not anymore though._

 _Osomatsu kicked a stone across the lot, watching as it bounced and rolled. He was bored and more than a little lonely. He didn't have any friends to hang out with, he didn't really want any. What he did want was his brothers. To laugh, goof off, talk with...what had happened to all of that? Oh, right. They grew up, they moved on. They didn't need their big brother anymore._

 _Sighing softly, Osomatsu stuffed his hands into his pockets, willing his emotions to settle. He wasn't gonna sit out here and cry like a big baby. Just like his little brothers didn't need him, he didn't need them. He wasn't lonely. He didn't miss them. "Screw 'em. They'd only get in my way now. I don't need reason." He mumbled softly, looking at his brusied and cut up fists._

 _Lost in thought, he didn't hear the footsteps coming from behind. He didn't hear the breathy snicker. But he definitely felt something solid crash into his skull, making him collapse to the ground in a heap. He wasn't quite unconcious, but his vision was full of spots and his eyelids fluttered. What was happening? Who...?_

 _"Fucking Matsuno. Piece of garbage. Just die!" Osomatsu couldn't see the guy, but he could hear him pacing. He was frantic, moving back and forth. And...did he just SPIT on him?! Osomatsu felt his blood boil, but he was too disoriented to say or do anything. Everything was spinning, his ears were ringing, and the spots in his vision were only slowly clearing._

 _"What do I do now? Shit, what do I do? Just finish it. Just gotta finish it." There was a little, disturbed laugh, before the footsteps finally stopped. Osomatsu blinked slowly, his vision slowly coming back into focus. But not quick enough._

 _Hands wrapped around his neck and_ pressed _, cutting off all air to his lungs. The spots in his vision reappeared with a vengance and the eldest Matsuno brother thrashed wildly, punching and kicking as best he could. He couldn't breathe, he was gonna die! Someone help, please help!_

 _"I'm sorry...God, I'm so sorry! It'll all be over soon, please be over soon..." The boy above him rambled and Osomatsu distantly wondered what was wrong with him. He didn't even know who he was! The hands were pressing down with so much strength now. Shit, Osomatsu could feel his limbs beginning to tire out, his body craving oxygen it couldn't get._

 _His fingers bumped against something hard and heavy, not hesitating to curl around the object. As soon as he had a hold on it, he swung as hard as he could, only hearing a sickening crack. Then the hands around his neck went slack and a body collapsed against him._

 _Whimpering, Osomatsu pushed the body away, gasping weakly. Air still wasn't getting to his lungs the way it should, which only made him panic more. He rolled onto his hands and knees, blinking wildly. He was salivating like crazy and he swore he could taste blood. "..H...elp...!" He tried to call out, his arms shaking as they struggled to support his weight. "He...lp..m...e...!"_

 _"There! He's there!"_

 _"Aniki!"_

 _There was a stampede of footsteps, running right for him. He wanted to look, wanted to see the faces of his brothers as they came to him, but his arms buckled and he collapsed back to the dirt. His breaths came out in wheezy pants, his eyes closing tightly. He was gonna die. He was scared._

 _"C-Call an ambulance Todomatsu!"_

 _"I've already got them on the phone!"_

 _"Oi, Jyushimatsu. Keep an eye on that guy. Make sure he doesn't get up again."_

 _"Mm! I'm watching him!"_

 _"Aniki, I'm gonna sit you up, okay? Slow, deep breaths."_

 _Choromatsu. Todomatsu. Ichimatsu. Jyushimatsu. Karamatsu. They were all there. All of his brothers had come for him. He didn't know how they knew he was here or why they seemed to have expected this, but it didn't matter right now. They were there. He missed them so much._

 _Arms wrapped around him gently and he was lifted up and turned so that he was facing them all. Karamatsu stared down at him, eyes full of worry as he supported him. Choromatsu hovered just behind him, wearing glasses that Osomatsu didn't even know he had. The third brother's eyes were darting all around, trying to assess the situation. Further off to the side, Todomatsu was talking on the phone, hands waving frantically and tears in the corners of his eyes._

 _Osomatsu turned his head slowly, hissing as his neck protested the movement. On his other side, Jyushimatsu was standing over his unconcious attacker, staring down at him with a blank stare, but there was an unfamiliar wide smile on his face. And right next to the fifth brother was Ichimatsu, crouched down and examining a metal rod curiously. It was covered in blood._

 _"The ambulance is on their way. They should be here in a few minutes." Todomatsu walked back over, stuffing his phone into his pocket. "So just hang on a bit longer, Osomatsu-niisan." He was trying to sound reassuring, but the crack in his voice really ruined the effect. Still, Osomatsu appreciated the effort._

 _"Aniki, you sound like you're having a hard time breathing. Is there anywhere in particular he hurt you? Besides your head?" Karamatsu pulled a sleeve over his hand, using it to wipe the blood from the eldest brother's face. Osomatsu blinked slowly, trying to comprehend the words, before he slowly reached a hand up to his neck. He was calmer, so breathing was a bit easier now. But it still wasn't enough. He was so, so dizzy._

 _"There's marks on his neck." Choromatsu pointed out, swallowing thickly. "M-Maybe his...I mean, if he's struggling to breathe, it could...c-could be his windpipe...?" Choromatsu sounded so unsure, almost shy. How long had it been since his little brother talked to anyone, Osomatsu wondered briefly._

 _"Probably got hit with this first." Ichimatsu lifted the metal pipe, showing it off to the others. "Looks like he got a hold of it and returned the favor though. Lucky the idiot dropped it so close." Ichimatsu glared at the guy, chucking the pipe away from them. Better not leave it lying around, just in case._

 _By now, sirens could be heard in the distance, getting closer with every minute. "He's really bleeding a lot. Osomatsu-niisan must've hit him really hard." Jyushimatsu pointed out, vaguely wondering if the kid was even still alive. Ah, his chest moved. Good. "Osomatsu-niisan should play baseball with me! You could hit a homerun for sure!"_

 _All attention turned to Jyushimatsu, before all the brothers chuckled nervously. Even Osomatsu's lips twitched upwards in a slight smile. This was the first time in at least two years that they had all come together or conversed. Despite the situation, it was kind of surreal. Why couldn't it always be like this?_

 _I need them, Osomatsu thought blearily, his eyelids starting to grow heavy. He was oxygen deprived and his head was throbbing painfully. He had missed them. He wanted to be around them, to fix things. Maybe, after a little nap, they could all just sit and talk. Yeah, that sounded good to him._

 _"Y-You shouldn't fall asleep, Osomatsu-niisan!" Choromatsu's voice called out through the growing haze. Everything was starting to blend together, he almost couldn't make out his brothers properly anymore. "Since you were hit on the head, you, uhm...c-could have a concussion, and..."_

 _"He's right Aniki!" The arms around him shook him gently, not doing much to rouse him. "Just wait a little longer, until the paramedics get here. Its better to be on the safe side, so just try to stay awake a little longer. Focus on breathing, okay? Just take slow, easy breaths."_

 _Osomatsu nodded his head slowly, showing that he did understand and that he'd try his best. No need to worry his little brother's anymore than he already had. Even his best couldn't keep his eyes open though. He slowly leaned his head against Karamatsu's chest, if only to keep the strain off of his sore neck, and sighed softly._

 _"They'll be here any second. Can you hear the sirens, Osomatsu-niisan?" Todomatsu called out to him next, and again he nodded. He did hear them, though they still sounded far away. Everything sounded far away, even his brothers. "Good, keep listening. Focus on all the noise so you won't doze off."_

 _"Eh? He moved! Ichimatsu-niisan, he moved!" Jyushimatsu's voice sounded a bit urgent and there was the sound of movement nearby. Osomatsu could hear a low grunt, followed by a scream. "Hold still! Don't move so much!"_

 _"Get off of me! I'll kill you, I'll...!" Apparently the guy was conscious and struggling against Jyushimatsu. Osomatsu wanted to open his eyes, see what was happening and make sure his little brother was okay, but he just couldn't. He must've moved though, because the arms around him tightened reassuringly._

 _"Why...why can't I see...? What did you do to me...?" It was like he switched between two very different personalities, which somehow bothered Osomatsu more. Maybe the guy was sick, maybe he really didn't mean to hurt him. He recalled the frantic apologies from earlier. "I'm so sorry, I-I didn't...no, he deserved it! He's dead, he better be dead!"_

 _"You're seriously fucked up, aren't you? Tch." Ichimatsu could be heard now. Maybe he was helping Jyushimatsu keep the kid pinned or was supervising. Again, Osomatsu really wished he could see what was happening._

 _An overwhelming sense of dizziness hit the eldest brother, disorienting him even further, and his head lolled limply against Karamatsu's shoulder. He couldn't do it. He couldn't stay awake, but he had tried so hard. They were talking again, but words were beyond him now. "...'m sorry..." Osomatsu slurred out, hoping it was some kind of comfort to his brothers. Or maybe he hadn't actually formed words at all and it would only distress them further._

 _Honestly, that was all he could remember, before waking up in the hospital._

"That's right, I remember that. I was so out of it for that whole week, I guess it didn't leave too big of an impact on me." Osomatsu smiled sheepishly, though his hand rubbed at his neck. If he thought about it too much, he could still feel fingers pressing into his neck.

Choromatsu sighed in exasperation. "I guess I can understand. You had a bad concussion and your windpipe was crushed, so you were a real mess. You were so drugged up at the time too, so I doubt that helped with your memory. Anyway, do you remember who the kid that attacked you ended up being?"

"Yeah. He was a kid to one of the big Yakuza bosses." Osomatsu recalled, looking at Choromatsu with an uneasy smile. "But that was a long time ago. And remember, they found out the guy had some mental disorder that caused him to attack. Multiple personalities, or something. He didn't actually mean to."

"They tried to press charges!" Choromatsu reminded the eldest. They had wanted Osomatsu to go to trial and face charges, there had definitely been some hard feelings back then. "When you hit him, he lost his eyesight! You blinded their kid, and I have a feeling they wouldn't forgive something like that so easily!"

"But they got security footage off of the camera at the park. It showed everything, and once they got their son's diagnosis they dropped the charges. They knew what happened was self defense!" Osomatsu never meant for the kid to lose his sight. All he had known at the time was that he wanted to survive. "He was two grades below us, still in middle school. They never even knew why he targeted me. I didn't even know him."

"T-That's true, they did drop the charges." Taking a deep breath, Choromatsu nodded in agreement. He was getting himself worked up over nothing. "It just seems so coincidental, you know? Two encounters with the Yakuza, both bad..."

"A coincidence is all it was. Trust me Choro, the Yakuza is not hunting us down. Whatever you're thinking, just stop, okay? We're here to have fun, so let's have fun!" Osomatsu grabbed his brother's arm, dragging him towards the rides. So far, they had only gone on a roller coaster with Jyushimatsu and Ichimatsu (as promised), but there was still so much to explore. And he really needed to find something to get Choromatsu's mind off of things.

"Er, Osomatsu-niisan? Is that Karamatsu over there?" Choromatsu pointed and Osomatsu followed his finger. Sure enough, there sat Karamatsu, a drink in his hand and his head lowered. "Doesn't look like Totty's with him anymore. Guess Todomatsu couldn't handle being around him for too long after all." His tone sounded disapproving. Couldn't the youngest suck it up for one day?!

Osomatsu let go of Choromatsu's arm, huffing in annoyance. "Remind me to kick Totty's ass later." He grumbled, walking over to the bench where Karamatsu was seated. "Doesn't look like you're having a lot of fun. Why are you just sitting here?" Osomatsu plopped down beside the second brother, letting both arms rest along the back of the bench.

Karamatsu jumped, nearly dropping the drink in his hand. "I was just waiting for Totty to return. He bumped into a friend of his and asked if I could get him a drink. We were gonna meet back here, but he has yet to come back." The second brother gave a sure smile, resting his hand against his chin. "I'm sure he'll return at any moment. I believe in Todomatsu."

"Really, Karamatsu-niisan." Choromatsu sat on Karamatsu's other side, gripping the second brother's shoulder. "You really are too kind for your own good. You know Todomatsu completely ditched you, right?" The look he got from Karamatsu was priceless, but he held back his laugh. Karamatsu was really hopeless.

"You know how Totty is Karamatsu! I can only imagine the face he made when he saw one of his friends coming while you were still with him!" Osomatsu laughed, slapping Karamatsu on the back. "He said so himself, he's embarrassed of us, so he probably took his friend and got out of here as fast as he could. That's fine though." The eldest brother grinned, jabbing a thumb into his own chest. "You can just hang out with me and Choromatsu instead!"

Karamatsu seemed unsure of his own feelings, caught between distress that he was indeed abandoned by his youngest brother and joy that the eldest brother was inviting him along to enjoy the day with him and Choromatsu. But as the saying went, the more the merrier, right? "If you'll have me, I'd be more than happy to spend time with both of you. But what if Totty comes back here looking for me?"

"He won't." Choromatsu rolled his eyes, getting up again and stretching. "If fact, it'll probably be difficult to find him for when its time to head home. He'll steer clear of us, no doubt. Hopefully his friend doesn't stay long and he comes looking for us on his own."

"Personally, I hope we do run into him! Torment him a little, embarrass him in front of his friend. It'd serve him right!" Osomatsu rubbed the underside of his nose with his finger, grinning widely. "If we do so happen to run nto him, you know. I wouldn't go hunt him down. For now though, we can go have some fun. Any rides caught your eye yet Karamatsu?"

"I suppose that one has. I didn't get to look around much, unfortunately." Karamatsu pointed out a nearby ride. Where he had been sitting on the bench, it was pretty much the only ride he could see. Osomatsu and Choromatsu turned their attention to it, the eldest grinning wider while the third brother groaned.

The seats themselves were housed within a different animal's 'mouth', a wheel in the center of the seats. The faster your group turned the wheel, the faster you'd spin. Eventually, you wouldn't even be able to see straight. "That one?! Why that one!?" Choromatsu protested, and it was only then that Karamatsu noticed the the green Matsu's usually tidy hair was already a complete mess, sticking up every which way.

Osomatsu immediately caught onto the second brother's stare, laughter bubbling up before he could stop it. "I promised Jyushimatsu I'd go on a roller coaster with him and Ichimatsu. I dragged Choromatsu with us and it was hilarious!" The eldest brother tried to stifle his laughter behind his hand, but the snickers could still be heard. "All four of us got to sit in the first row and it was awesome! But THIS guy started to get queasy!"

Choromatsu scolwed as Osomatsu nudged him lightly, that stupid grin still on his face. "That thing was jerking us all over the place! And what was with the fire? What if the cars didn't stop like they were supposed to? We could've been burned to a crisp! Its completely pointless and unsafe! And then just stopping the ride all of a sudden! I thought we were actually stuck. They left it sit for way too long! Then going backwards out of nowhere!"

By now, Osomatsu was doubled over with laughter, just the memory of Choromatsu's face enough to set him off. "Y-You have to...have to see the picture they gave us!" Osomatsu wheezed, gripping Karamatsu's shoulder for support. Karamatsu was also starting to chuckle a bit, if only at the eldest brother's behavior. "The picture's perfect! Choromatsu's face was pure gold!"

"I'll burn it as soon as I get my hands on it! I would've already, if Jyushimatsu hadn't run off with it. There's no way I could catch him." Choromatsu sighed heavily, looking clearly distressed. That picture could be used against him in so many ways. Especially if Jyushimatsu handed it off to Ichimatsu or Totty. Oh God, the possibilities! "A-Anyway, if you want to go on that, I don't mind. You haven't had a chance to ride anything yet, so its only fair."

Karamatsu practically beamed. Here Choromatsu was, putting a guilty guy like himself ahead of his own comfort. "Onward then, my brothers! Let us enjoy ourselves and have some fun!" With that, the second brother marched forward, the eldest and third brothers following right behind him.

It took ten minutes in like, before the three brothers were finally able to board the ride. There were differeing opinions on which animal they should choose, but Osomatsu eventually won that argument, dragging the others over the panda head. Osomatsu climbed in first, leaving Karamatsu in the middle and Choromatsu on the end.

Once and attendant stapped by to make sure the door was securely shut, Osomatsu gripped the wheel in the center, a sly smile on his face. "Which way are we gonna spin? Counter-clockwise sounds good, doesn't it?" He twisted the wheel for emphasis, the head spinning slowly.

"The ride hasn't even started yet! Stop that!" Choromatsu huffed, leaning forward to grip the wheel as well. "I don't think it matters that much, which direction we go. If you want to go counter-clockwise, its fine. Probably easier to spin it that way anyway."

Karamatsu gripped the wheel as well, humming in agreement. It didn't really matter which way they would spin, the end result would be the same. "With the three of us, I can only imagine this will end...ah..."

"Horribly?" Osomatsu filled in, laughing at Choromatsu's look of disdain. "It'll be fine, Choro! As long as you don't get sick, that is. If you do, at least aim for Karamatsu, not me." Karamatsu looked disgusted at the very idea, his face scrunching up a bit.

"Thanks Aniki." Karamatsu grumbled, still grimacing at the thought. He really hoped the third brother could handle the ride better than he did his liquor. Admittedly though, it wouldn't be the first time one of his brothers had gotten sick on him. But without a shower nearby, it'd be inconvenient at the very least.

"Don't worry Karamatsu-niisan. If I do get sick, which I won't, I'll make sure I aim right at Osomatsu. Just make sure you lean back far enough." Choromatsu glared at the eldest, though there was no real anger there. It almost looked playful. Osomatsu feigned hurt, covering his heart with his hand.

"Awe! So mean to your Onii-chan!"

The platform began to move slowly, gradually picking up speed. The second they felt the ride begin, the three brothers began to turn the wheel as quickly as they could, matching one another's pace perfectly. It didn't take long at all for them to begin spinning wildly, everything outside just a blur of color.

Of course, with that momentum, it was difficult to stay in one place. Karamatsu could feel himself sliding in his seat, but he planted his feet firmly, focusing on the wheel in front of him. Poor Choromatsu didn't have the control for that though, and he slid in his seat until he crashed against the second brother. Karamatsu grunted, instinctively letting go of the wheel and grabbing Choromatsu to steady him, but there was no way. The green Matsu was flailing a bit, trying desperately to right himself, to no avail.

On his other side, Karamatsu could hear Osomatsu laughing hysterically, having noticed their situation. He didn't stop spinning the wheel though, not giving his little brothers a moment to correct themselves. That being said, it didn't take long for Choromatsu's squirming to knock Karamatsu loose, both brothers finally sliding into the eldest.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Osomatsu cursed, finally letting go of the wheel. Karamatsu's elbow was jammed into his side, Choromatsu only adding to the weight. But even then, Osomatsu couldn't keep from laughing. They looked ridiculous, all of them stuck and unable to fight against the momentum of the ride.

"S-Sorry...!" Choromatsu yelled back, waving his arms as he tried to grip onto something. He was dizzy, completely disoriented, and embarrassed. But despite it all, his own laughter bubbled up until he was laughing just as hysterically as the eldest brother. This was ridiculous, they were ridiculous! It was somehow fun though. Damn, when was the last time he had laughed like THIS?

Karamatsu managed to finally move his elbow out of Osomatsu's ribs, giving up on trying to move anymore than that. Choromatsu was leaning on him too heavily, and he was pinned right against Osomatsu's side. No room to move. But both of his brothers were laughing and it sounded so honest and...good. In this moment, they had no worries or fears. They were just brothers having fun.

Karamatsu felt something in his chest, something so sincere it made him want to cry. There wasn't much about the second brother that one could consider sincere. He was one of the fakest people he knew. But right now, he felt so much love and happiness, just being here with his brothers. Listening to their laughter, spending time with them, just being allowed to enjoy their company...it was overwhelming.

Between Choromatsu's laughter and his own, Osomatsu heard another sound. Glancing down towards Karamatsu, he didn't miss the happy smile on his brother's face or the tears streaming down his face as he laughed. He wasn't at all convinced that the tears were from the laughter, but that was okay, because no one would question them. Despite it all, Karamatsu seemed honestly happy and Osomatsu found himself feeling glad. Karamatsu needed this.

The ride came to an end all too soon, though it took a bit of extra time for their own car to stop spinning. Choromatsu moved first, finally managing to sit up and scoot towards the door. His face was flushed and he was smiling wide, despite how dizzy he was. "I-I, uh...dunno if I can stand up..." He laughed, wiping his face dry from tears.

Karamatsu snorted, gripping his sides. Laughing hurt, and yet it still managed to feel so good. "You're not the only one." He chuckled, rubbing his face against his sleeve. He had a large smile as well, as opposed to his usual smirk. "Heh, I dunno if I can really move right at all. Everything's spinning." He reached for the wheel to help pull himself along, only to miss completely. That only led to another bout of laughter from the three brothers.

"You both slid clear across the car! That really huuuurt!" Osomatsu whined playfully, rubbing at his side tenderly. Honestly, it had hurt and he was probably gonna have a light bruise, but it had been worth it. Both of his brothers were smiling and laughing more than they ever had before. "Seriously though, you should've seen your faces when Choromatsu first slid over!"

"I didn't know where I was sliding! I couldn't even tell which way we were going anymore!" Choromatsu defended himself quickly, managing to open the door. He grabbed Karamatsu's arm, helping his disoriented brother out as well. Osomatsu grinned, crawling out himself, stumbling like a man who had just downed a twelve-pack.

"I couldn't tell what was happening." Karamatsu admitted, smiling sheepishly. "I just noticed him fall over, I didn't know if something was actually wrong. And I'm sorry about the elbow in your ribs." He rubbed the back of his head, seeming embarrassed. The sincere smile was slowly disappearing, settling back into his usual smirk.

Osomatsu noticed, but didn't say anything, choosing instead to throw an arm around the second brother. "How weak do you think your Onii-chan is? That was nothing!" His arm quickly tugged Karamatsu into a head lock, his free hand messing up the second brother's hair. "Who do you think you're dealing with? You should know by now that I'm the best!"

"The best at what exactly?" Choromatsu grumbled, grabbing both brothers and dragging them away from the ride. The staff were already starting to give them dirty looks for loitering around now that they had clearly recovered from their dizziness. Other people were waiting after all. "The best at getting us into trouble? You've always been good at that."

"He's pretty good at being an idiot."

"Oh! Oh! He's really good at losing money too! Especially at Pachinko! Ahaha!"

The three brothers turned around, Osomatsu ready with a retort, but he immediately silenced himself. He was pretty sure Ichimatsu and Jyushimatsu were there somewhere, but he couldn't see them behind the six, large plush toys they held. They were about as tall as the brothers! "What's all that?" Osomatsu asked, amusement plain in his voice as he rubbed at his nose.

Jyushimatsu's head poked out from between the three stuffed toys he held, his smile as wide as ever and his eyes sparkling happily. "Baseball!" He chirped, tightening his grip on the stuffed toys. He bounded over and handed the three older brothers their respective gifts. Osomatsu took the overly large red panda with a grin. It was the same one he had been trying to win earlier too. There was a sheep for Choromatsu, its usually white fluff dyed green. The third brother felt his face warm up a bit at the kind gesture. And finally, a blue and white wolf for Karamatsu. The second brother took the toy gingerly, fighting the urge to weep and hug his little brother for thinking of him.

"He found the game with the bottles. He paid for six games and won all of them, but he broke all the bottles, so they made him leave afterwards." Ichimatsu shifted the toys so that he could look over them at his brothers. In his own arms, he held a yellow dog, a purple cat, and a pink bunny. Frankly he felt ridiculous, walking around with them, but Jyushimatsu couldn't have carried them all on his own.

"Awe, that's my little brother! We'll have to find somewhere good to put them all when we get home." Osomatsu ruffled Jyushimatsu's hair affectionately, tucking the stuffed toy under his arm. Lugging it around was gonna be a pain, but he wouldn't dare say that out loud. Jyushimatsu had thought of them and had taken the time to win these for them.

"Thank you, my little Jyushimatsu!" Karamatsu finally gave into his urges, hugging the fifth brother tightly. Jyushimatsu just laughed and returned the hug, patting his older brother's back a little roughly. "I love it. I'll cherish it forever!"

"Thank you Jyushimatsu." Choromatsu said simply, but he did mean it honestly. He wasn't sure what he would do with this thing or where they would have room to put all six of them, but it was the thought that counted. And Jyushimatsu's expression was just way too adorable.

Jyushimatsu pulled away from Karamatsu, beaming at his brothers and the praise he got from them. "I got one for all of us! Ichimatsu-niisan helped me pick them out." Everyone stared at the fourth brother, who quickly buried his face back behind the plush toys. "I'm really glad you all like them! But...where's Totty?!" The fifth brother looked around wildly, sulking when he didn't see their youngest brother. How was he supposed to give him his present now?

"He apparently bumped into a friend of his and ran off without telling Karamatsu." Osomatsu explained. Karamatsu immediately frowned at the reminder, all happiness from earlier forgotten. "You know, he's being his sly, shitty self. But I was thinking..." The eldest brother hummed thoughtfully, before looking at Jyushimatsu and giving the yellow Matsu a playful wink. "Maybe Puppymatsu here would be able to sniff out our baby brother."

Jyushimatsu crouched down onto all fours, his tongue lolling out. "I can try! I know Totty's smell really well! He always smells like cologne!" Not surprising, considering who they were dealing with. Jyushimatsu sniffed at the air, tilting his head slightly as he contemplated the different smells.

"Oi, this is ridiculous!" Choromatsu huffed, elbowing Osomatsu. "We're in public, with tons of people around! You can't have him doing this here!" Sighing, the third brother rubbed his face with a hand. How embarrassing! "And anyway, there's got to be tons of different smells around here. He can't just pick out one over all the others. Its impossible."

"And really, all of this isn't really necessary Aniki. I don't think we should bother him while he's having fun. I mean, he is getting his mind off of things and that's what we wanted, right?" Karamatsu interjected quickly. He somehow felt like they shouldn't get in between Todomatsu and the man that he ran off with. Something seemed...

"Relax! We're just going to find him, let Jyushi here give him his present. Besides, it won't be long now until we have to catch our bus back home. And Totty should pay a bit for leaving you behind. Because of that, you haven't really got to enjoy anything." Osomatsu crossed his arms stubbornly, looking at Jyushimatsu as he sniffed around.

Suddenly, the fifth brother perked up with wide eyes, letting out a sound similar to a howl. He darted down the path, still on all fours, ignoring the looks from all of the other guests around them. "This way, this way! Totty's this way!" Jyushimatsu yelled back, not bothering to slow down for the others.

The other brothers seemed skeptical for a mere second, before darting after the fifth brother. Poor Ichimatsu was left in the rear, still toting around the three over-sized stuffed animals, only hoping that he didn't run into anyone.

* * *

Todomatsu was having a good time.

Atsushi had convinced him to go on rides he'd never try under normal circumstances and he was starting to regret not trying them out sooner. Or maybe it was just because of the company. It was hard not to have fun when Atsushi was here with him. Todomatsu caught himself thinking that more than once today and every time, his face would grow warm. This might be bad, he realized.

For now, the two were taking a break, both enjoying some cotton candy. Atsushi had insisted and who was Totty to argue? "When do you need to be getting back to your brothers?" The older man asked, glancing at Todomatsu with a slight smile. He was having fun too, and getting to know Todomatsu a little better was a plus. With the secret of his family out of the way, it felt like he was getting to see the more real side of the younger man.

"Oh, uhm..." Todomatsu reached into his hoodie pocket and tugged out his phone, checking the time. He hadn't been paying attention to the time at all, so it surprised him when the time showed 4:17. They had to leave around 5:30 to catch the bus and were supposed to meet up at 5:00. Less than an hour until he had to meet them and finding them was going to be difficult. Why didn't anyone think to make a meeting place?! "Soon. I'll have to try to find them pretty quickly. If we miss the bus, we'll be stuck here until the next one comes."

"That wouldn't be any good. I'd offer to drive you home, but I don't think my car's suited sextuplets." Todomatsu laughed weakly at the idea, only able to imagine how disastorous that would end. Atsushi had a nice car and his brothers would probably find a way to ruin it. Not that they could all fit inside anyway.

"Its okay. Akatsuka is pretty far from here anyway, so I couldn't ask you to drive all that way." Sighing heavily, Todomatsu stared down at his phone, willing that time would somehow move backwards so that he could have more time with his older friend. Today really had made him feel better after the last few days, made him forget all of the problems. Was it really too much to ask for it to last a little longer?

Todomatsu felt a gentle touch against his hand and startled a bit, looking up at Atsushi curiously. The older man had grabbed his hand that held his phone gently, slowly pulling it down and away from his face. "Sorry, I know you need to go soon. But I...got you something while you were getting your cotton candy."

The youngest brother could feel his face burning, he could only imagine how red he was right now. Atsushi had gotten him something? Atsushi pulled something from his pocket, before taking Totty's phone and attaching it. He immediately offered the device back, smiling softly. "Its nothing much. But it made me think of you, so..."

Blinking curiously, Todomatsu took the phone from him, examining the little charm that was now attached to it. His eyes practically sparkled at the little pink bunny with a cute, cat-like smile that dangled from the chain. "Its so adorable! I love it!" He gave Atsushi his own cute smile, holding his phone to his chest now. It was such a nice gesture, and he suddenly found himself wondering what it meant. Was Atsushi maybe hinting that he...?

"Totty! Totty Totty!"

The pink Matsu didn't have any time to react to the yell, before he was tackled down to the ground, grunting as Jyushimatsu settled on his back. "J...Jyushimatsu-niisan! Get off of me!" He snapped, squirming as he attempted to get free. He could hear more footsteps behind him, which could only mean that all of his brothers were with him. And Atsushi was right _there_. Why did this have to happen to him?!

"Sooo...Totty. How long did you plan on leaving Karamatsu waiting for you, huh? Did you get lost?" Osomatsu. Check.

"I was hoping you'd come back for me, brother. But alas, I guess your attention was elsewhere." Karamatsu. Check.

"You dried-up monster. Karamatsu-niisan didn't get to enjoy anything because he was too busy waiting for you!" Choromatsu. Check.

"I'm not really surprised. You probably thought you were being pretty sly, sneaking away from him like you did." Ichimatsu. Check.

"So mean, Totty!" Jyushimatsu. Double check.

"Do you see this?! Do you see what's happening right now?! That's why I left him behind!" Todomatsu snapped, somehow managing to push himself up off of the ground, knocking Jyushimatsu off of him in the process. Jyushimatsu didn't seem bothered though, immediately hopping back to his feet and bounding over to the other brothers. After dusting himself off, the youngest brother turned sharply, glaring at his older brothers.

"So cold!" Osomatsu gave Todomatsu a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest. "Are you calling us embarrassing again? Because we can show you just how embarrassing we can be, if that's what you want." The eldest brother's sly grin was enough to send a shiver down Todomatsu's spine.

"Or we won't." Choromatsu gave Osomatsu an incredulous look. They had back at Sutabaa, but there were a lot more people here compared to the little coffee shop. "But you really should apologize to Karamatsu. Honestly, leaving him there waiting all day, knowing that he would be ridiculous enough to actually stay!"

"I didn't think he'd be that stupid!" Todomatsu immediately defended himself, holding his hands in front of himself defensively. He immediately regretted his words though, when he noticed the second brother flinch a bit, having huddled a bit more behind the others. Did he hurt his feelings? Ah, now he felt shitty. "I-I...I mean, I..."

Karamatsu looked away from the others as they bickered, shaking his head and sighing softly. They were gonna get out of hand, as usual. That was just how his brothers were though, no sense in trying to change it. But his attention quickly found the man that was standing to the side, watching them all with obvious amusement. The same man that had caught Todomatsu's attention earlier. "I apologize for my brothers, interrupting your time with our dearest Totty." He immediately went into character, smirking a bit.

"No, its fine. I'm sorry for dragging him away like I did. I was just surprised to see him here, so I had to call out. Before I knew it, we spent the whole day together." Atsushi explained, giving Karamatsu an apologetic smile. "He kind of warned me about this, so I'm not entirely surprised. Gotta deal with younger brothers before they get out of hand, right?" He laughed.

Karamatsu immediately dropped his character, looking surprised. "Ah, he actually mentioned us?" He sputtered, eyes going wide. That didn't happen. Todomatsu was ashamed of them, completely embarrassed about their existance. He didn't simply admit that they existed. Unless...this guys must've been someone special to him. "Have you known each other long?"

"A few months now? The coffee shop he works at is close to my office building, so I ran into him there. We got to talking and things just kind of went from there. Sometimes he invites me to go to mixers with him." Karamatsu nodded in understanding, looking deep in thought. Was this...? What if...? No, that couldn't be it. Could it?

"No, don't talk to him!" Todomatsu was suddenly between Karamatsu and Atsushi, pushing Karamatsu away as quickly as he could. "Karamatsu-niisan, if you embarrass me, I swear I'll never forgive you!" Actual meaning: I will make your life hell for as long as you live! Karamatsu swallowed nervously, nodding in understanding. "We can get ready to leave, just at least let me say goodbye!"

The brothers agreed, but didn't move to give them any privacy. Todomatsu sighed heavily, looking at Atsushi with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. Really, really sorry. Its just like I told you, they're the worst." He made sure his brothers heard him clearly.

"And just like I told you, I get it. Being an older brother with a rebellious little brother can be difficult." Atsushi teased, laughing quietly when Todomatsu puffed out his cheeks in exasperation. It was really...cute.

"See, he gets it! I like this guy!" Osomatsu grinned when Todomatsu glared at him over his shoulder.

"Seriously, shut up Osomatsu-niisan!" Todomatsu took a calming breath, looking at Atsushi. "I guess I'll call you later on. Oh, and thanks for the charm. I love it." He smiled fondly at the little bunny dangling from his phone.

"I'm glad. Call me anytime Totty." Atsushi gave him a charming smile, before turning away and walking away. There was no need to stick around any longer and make things feel awkward for poor Todomatsu. Maybe they'd get around to introductions one day.

"Whaaaat? You're gonna let him leave without introducing us?" Osomatsu teased the youngest, watching as his little brother's friend disappeared into the crowd. He was a little curious about the way Todomatsu watched after him, the expression being something new he hadn't really seen before, but he brushed it off. Its not like he had ever seen his little brother with his friends before, so maybe it wasn't that big of a mystery.

"Absolutely. You're not gonna be around him enough to need a proper explanation." Todomatsu huffed, turning and giving his brothers a glare. "You guys are seriously the worst! Why is it so wrong that I wanted to hang out with one of my friends instead of one of you?"

"That's not the problem at all!" Choromatsu yelled in frustration, pointing an accusing finger at the youngest brother. "Are you doing it on purpose?! You can't be that naive, you can't!"

"Its the 'mountain climbing incident' all over again." Osomatsu sighed heavily, wrapping an arm around Todomatsu while leading him and the others towards the amusement park's exit. "Look Totty, hanging out with your friends is fine. Just abandoning one of us to do so, without telling us what your planning is the problem!"

"I would've appreciated a heads up, Totty. You told me you'd wait at the bench, but you weren't there. So I assumed you planned to meet with me after you parted ways with your friend." Karamatsu admitted, though he still somehow looked guilty. He didn't mean for the whole situation to turn into a giant lecture for the youngest brother.

Todomatsu looked ready to argue, before stopping himself. His discussion with Atsushi earlier rang clearly in his mind, talk of how the older man didn't have a relationship with his brothers anymore and fear suddenly gripped at the youngest brothers heart. Was he pushing his brothers away? What if he did something that made them leave him behind? Todomatsu hunched his shoulders a bit, not even noticing Osomatsu's arm tugging him slightly closer as the eldest noticed his sudden change.

"I'm...sorry Karamatsu-niisan. I won't do it again, I promise. If I decide to go with my friends, I'll tell you." Todomatsu mumbled quietly, but sincerely. All the brothers seemed startled by the apology, clearly not expecting the youngest to give in so easily. Todomatsu never apologized to anyone. "Atsushi's just a really good friend, so I got excited when I saw him here. It was..."

"You don't have to explain yourself Totty!" Karamatsu quickly interrupted the pink Matsu, giving him one of his confident smirks. "It wasn't a problem at all. Because of it, I got the chance to spend some quality time with Aniki and Choromatsu. Just the three eldest brothers, something that rarely happens!" Osomatsu and Choromatsu hummed in agreement. They had only gotten on one ride, but it was fun.

Ichimatsu and Jyushimatsu were bringing up the rear, walking in a comfortable silence, but Jyushimatsu seemed to catch on to Todomatsu's mood taking a dive. The fifth brother immediately snatched the pink bunny that Ichimatsu was still hauling around and bounced ahead to cut off the other. "Totty!" He chirped, holding up the stuffed toy excitedly.

Todomatsu was staring at the ground, only stopping when Osomatsu did. He looked up at Jyushimatsu, only to be met with the stare of a giant plush bunny. His eyes widened in wonder. "So...so cuuuute!" Todomatsu made a sound as close to a squeal as he could get, before hugging the toy tightly. It was only then that he noticed that the others had been hauling their own stuffed toys around the entire time. How had he missed them?

"Ahaha! You like it? Do you? I won them all! Thank you, Homerun King!" Jyushimatsu was beaming at his only younger brother, waving his arms excitedly as Todomatsu's spirits seemed to be lifted. Jyushimatsu loved to see his brothers happy, more than anything.

"Mm! I love it! Thank you, Jyushimatsu-niisan!" Todomatsu smiled fondly at the toy, hugging it to his chest a bit. The toy was soft and he kind of wished that he could sleep with it, but their futon was already crowded enough. Not to mention his brothers would tease him for sure.

"Alright, alright." Osomatsu smiled a bit, rubbing Todomatsu's back, before walking ahead. "Let's hurry up and catch the bus. If we get home early enough, maybe we can stop and rent a few movies to watch tonight. Don't worry, I'll stay out of the porn section." The eldest brother laughed at the relieved looks on his brothers faces.

"Ooh! Idea!" Jyushimatsu raised his hand, waving it wildly. "We can build a blanket fort downstairs, just like when we were kids! I can move all the furniture around so that we can make the best blanket fort ever!"

"A blanket fort...? Really? Aren't we a little old for that?" Choromatsu sighed heavily, not really intending to shoot the idea down. Even if it did come out like that. Jyushimatsu gave him a look, pressing his sleeved hand to his mouth thoughtfully. "I-I mean...whose going to clean it up before mom and dad get back?"

"It'll be fine! Completely fine!" Jyushimatsu waved a hand nonchalantly, smiling again. "I can clean it all up later! It'll be fun, Choromatsu-niisan! A lot of fun! Like being kids all over again! We can have popcorn and...and..."

"We can order pizza for dinner!" Osomatsu cut in, grinning widely at his idea. Pizza was a rarity in the Matsuno household, reserved for somewhat special occassions. But when they had been kids and had a movie night with their parents, pizza was usually on the menu. If they were going to reenact their childhood, then why not go all out?

"Osomatsu-niisan, you're a genius." Todomatsu complimented, looking more than pleased with the idea. Pizza was greasy and fattening, the farthest thing from healthy, but there was no denying how delicious it was. "And a blanket fort could be nice. It'll be all cozy."

"...I like the idea. We can drag the futon downstairs too and just lounge around." Ichimatsu agreed, shifting his hold on the two stuffed toys he still held. Why couldn't Jyushimatsu carry his own? At any rate, lounging around was all that he had planned anyway, so why not make it even better?

"Today is a day for relaxation. Why not make it even better by spending the night enjoying movies with my precious brothers? It sounds perfect." Karamatsu smirked, before yelping as he received a face full of purple, artificial fur. The blow was admittedly soft, but Ichimatsu's silencing glare was not. "A-Ah, I mean...it all just sounds fun..."

Choromatsu stared at his brothers with a defeated look, before sighing and shrugging his shoulders. It didn't sound bad, but he had a feeling he'd be the one stuck cleaning up the messes left behind. "Fine. If that's what you all want, I guess I'm outnumbered. Movies, pizza, and...a blanket fort it is."

By the time the brothers made it home, it was just shy of 8:00. As soon as the door closed behind them, everyone started to move. Osomatsu grabbed the phone to order their pizza, Jyushimatsu rushed into the living room to begin moving furniture, Ichimatsu and Choromatsu headed upstairs to get their futon, which left Karamatsu and Todomatsu to gather all the blankets they could find.

"That's six blankets. Should that be enough?" Todomatsu asked, piling the final fleece blanket he found in their closet into Karamatsu's arms. There was one color for each of them, a present from their parents last Christmas. At least they'd finally be put to good use, opposed to Jyushimatsu hogging them all to beat the winter cold.

"We should try to find a few more. Knowing our little Jyushimatsu, he'll want to go overboard. Might as well make sure he has plenty of material to work with, so that his vision may become a reality!" Karamatsu smirked, shifting the blankets in his arms. "I'll take these downstairs so that he may begin his work of art. Maybe mommy has some more blankets in her closet."

Todomatsu hummed and nodded, doing his best to ignore his brother's painful choice of words. Karamatsu was right about one thing, Jyushimatsu would likely go way overboard. Having some more blankets couldn't hurt that much. The youngest brother walked down the hall towards their parents room, pushing the door open and flicking on the light.

To be honest, Todomatsu couldn't remember the last time he'd been in his parents room. There was never really any need for him to be here, not since he was a kid. Maybe that's why it somehow seemed so foreign to him. When did the dresser get moved over there? When did they put the mirror by the door? Did they change the curtains? He quickly shook the thoughts out of his mind, walking over to the closet and tugging it open. He really needed to pay more attention to his mom and dad.

The closet was surprisingly tall, but Todomatsu didn't miss the corner of a blanket hanging down from the top shelf. Why did their mom have to be so tall?! There was nothing around that he could use to step up on and he really didn't feel like going downstairs to find something. Huffing, he stood on his tiptoes, reaching as far as he could. If only he could just get a hold on the blanket, he could just pull all of them down! Why did they all have to be so short?

The pink Matsu's eyes lit up as his fingers brushed against the cloth and he immediately gripped it, tugging as hard as he could. Just as expected, a bunch of blankets came tumbling down, but a decent sized box must've been resting on the top of the pile. Todomatsu yelped as the corner of the box bumped against his forehead, his hand immediately coming up to cover the small cut that was quickly welling up with blood. Well, this was unfortunate.

"Ow..." He whimpered pitifully, before letting out a sigh and kicking the offending box out of his way. To his surprise, it rattled loudly and he quickly found out why as the lid fell open. An array of pill bottles rolled out, thankfully still capped. But they were all prescription bottles, and Todomatsu couldn't help but feel a little worried about that. There were so many. Were his parents hiding something? Were one of them sick? Swallowing nervously, Todomatsu knelt down and picked up one of the bottles to read the label.

It was the last thing he was expecting to see. Matsuno, Karamatsu was written on the label, along with some other information. Todomatsu furrowed his brow and pulled out his smartphone, typing the name on the label into his browser. Zoloft. An antidepressant. What?

Todomatsu's mind went blank and he dropped the pill bottle in his hand. What did Karamatsu need with those and why were they hidden in their mother's closet? It didn't make any sense. Karamatsu couldn't be depressed. He immediately felt the guilt creeping in. Was it their fault? They were just teasing, they never meant what they said. Its not like they hated the second brother. What if it was just him? Did he do something to...?

He took a deep breath, burying his face into his hands. No, he couldn't jump to conclusions right now! There could be another explanation, right? He really hoped there was. Dropping his hands to his side, Todomatsu knelt down to gather up the rest of the bottles. Once he was calm, once he got his mind under control, he would confront Karamatsu and ask him outright what the story behind the pills were. But right now, it'd be pointless. Not when he couldn't...think...

The pills fell back to the floor, along with the rest of the contents in the box. Todomatsu stared at the last bottle he had grabbed for a moment, before flinging it across the room as if it had burned him. His face was pale, his hands starting to shake a bit. What was happening? What was going on?

Matsuno, Todomatsu was written on the label.

It was something called Fluoxetine. He didn't know what it was. And at this point, he wasn't sure he wanted to.


End file.
